National Nutrition Council
The NNC, as mandated by law, is the country's highest policy-making and coordinating body on nutrition.
The NNC Logo
Improving the nutrition situation in cannot be achieved by spoonfeeding alone nor by the generosity of a single sector's spoon.
It requires collaboration in creating and recreating ideas; seeking unity and totality of approach toward nutritional adequacy for all Filipinos.
NNC Core Functions
- Formulate national food and nutrition policies and strategies and serve as the policy, coordinating and advisory body of food, nutrition and health concerns;
- Coordinate planning, monitoring, and evaluation of the national nutrition program;
- Coordinate the hunger mitigation and malnutrition prevention program to achieve relevant Millennium Development Goals;
- Strengthen competencies and capabilities of stakeholders through public education, capacity building and skills development;
- Coordinate the release of funds, loans, and grants from government organizations (GOs) and nongovernment organizations (NGOs); and
- Call on any department, bureau, office, agency and other instrumentalities of the government for assistance in the form of personnel, facilities and resources as the need arises.
History of Composition and Legal Bases
Composition
The Council is composed of a Governing Board (GB) and a Secretariat. The Governing Board is the policy-making body of the NNC and is composed of the:
- Secretary of Health, Chairperson
- Secretary of Agriculture, Vice-Chair
- Secretary of the Interior and Local Government, Vice-Chair
- Secretary of Budget and Management
- Secretary of Education
- Secretary of Labor and Employment
- Secretary of Science and Technology
- Secretary of Social Welfare and Development
- Secretary of Trade and Industry
- Director-General, National Economic and Development Authority
Three representatives from the private sector are appointed by the President of the Republic of the Philippines for a two-year term.
Structure for Nutrition Policy and Program Coordination
The functions and multisectoral composition of the NNC are replicated at subnational levels. Regional, provincial, city, municipal and barangay nutrition committees are organized to manage and coordinate the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of local hunger-mitigation and nutrition action plan as a component of the local development plan.
Local chief executives serve as chairpersons. Nutrition action officers are designated or appointed to attend to the day-to-day operations of the local nutrition progam.
NNC Technical Committee
The NNC Technical Committee is composed of heads of major department bureaus and agencies involved in nutrition and appropriate NGOs. It provides technical assistance to the Board and NNC Secretariat, and facilitates inter- and intra-agency coordination, supervision and monitoring, and implementation of nutrition policies and programs.
NNC Secretariat
The NNC Secretariat serves as the executive arm of the NNC Governing Board. It is headed by an executive director, assisted by two deputy executive directors. It has three technical divisions (nutrition policy and planning, nutrition surveillance, and nutrition information and education), and two support divisions (administrative and finance). Its regional offices are headed by nutrition program coordinators. Its functions are:
- Advise the Board on nutrition policy and program matters;
- Recommend a comprehensive food and nutrition policy;
- Coordinate with GOs and NGOs for nutrition program management and resource programming;
- Initiate the formulation and develop measure to improve implementation of the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN);
- Monitor and analyze nutrition and related socio-economic data for a periodic statement on the country’s nutrition situation;
- Monitor and evaluate the PPAN;
- Develop and implement a comprehensive advocacy, information and education strategy for the PPAN; and
- Provide technical, financial, and logistics support to local government units and agencies for the development and implementation of nutrition programs and projects.
NNC Vision Statement
NNC Mission Statement
To orchestrate efforts of government, private sector, international organizations and other stakeholders at all levels, in addressing hunger and malnutrition of Filipinos through:
NNC CORE VALUES
Integrity
Zeal
Excellence
Sensitivity
Transparency