MANILA, 1 JULY 2025 — The National Nutrition Council (NNC) and UNICEF have joined forces as part of national efforts to end child food poverty—one of the most urgent but overlooked drivers of malnutrition in the Philippines caused by poor food environments, poor feeding practices, and household income poverty.
As Nutrition Month 2025 begins today, the agencies are ramping up multisectoral efforts to ensure access to nutritious diets, services, and good nutrition practices.
Child food poverty refers to when children eat fewer than five out of eight essential food groups in a day—such as grains, vegetables, fruits, eggs, dairy, meat, and legumes—depriving them of proteins and micronutrients necessary for growth and development. In the Philippines, 1 in 2 children under five are food poor, and 13 per cent are in severe food poverty, eating from just two or fewer food groups.
This problem begins early. Among children aged 6–23 months—the age when infants consume solid foods in combination with breastmilk—only 1 in 5 meets the minimum dietary diversity needed for healthy development. The situation is worse among the poorest families, where just 17.8 per cent of young children receive varied diets. These children are 50 per cent more likely to be wasted (children who are too thin for their height) and 34 per cent more likely to be stunted (children who are too short for their age).
Wider economic and environmental factors are also making it harder for families to feed their children well. Between 2019 and 2022, the cost of a healthy diet more than doubled, and today, 67 per cent of households cannot afford even a nutrient-adequate diet. Children are also surrounded by food marketing that undermines healthy choices. Three out of four are exposed to ads for products high in sugar, salt, and fat, often replacing more nutritious options at home, leading to alarming levels of overweight and obesity.
Ensuring children and their communities can access diverse and affordable food requires stronger local delivery and coordination—which the NNC is actively working to strengthen. “Through the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition 2023-2028, we are helping local governments strengthen programs that improve children’s diets, especially during the first 1,000 days of life”, said OIC Executive Director IV Atty. Rosalina U. Bascao. “Sama-sama sa Nutrisyong Sapat Para sa Lahat or ‘Together for adequate nutrition for all’ is more than a tagline— it reflects the collaborative work among various sectors in all governance levels happening across the country.”
“When children are not properly nourished, they find it difficult to learn, play, and explore their world. Addressing child food poverty is essential to fulfilling their right to proper nutrition,” said UNICEF Philippines Acting Representative Behzad Noubary. “UNICEF supports the government in strengthening climate-resilient systems that improve children’s diverse and sustainable diets—from complementary feeding programmes to community-level services and national policies. Our goal is to ensure that every child has access to safe, nutritious, affordable, and age-appropriate food.”
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