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

1. Formulate national food and nutrition policies and strategies and serve as the policy, coordinating and advisory body of food, nutrition and health concerns;
2. Coordinate planning, monitoring, and evaluation of the national nutrition program;
3. Coordinate the hunger mitigation and malnutrition prevention program to achieve relevant Millennium Development Goals;
4. Strengthen competencies and capabilities of stakeholders through public education, capacity building and skills development;
5. Coordinate the release of funds, loans, and grants from government organizations (GOs) and nongovernment organizations (NGOs); and
6. 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

• 1947   Creation of the Philippine Institute of Nutrition (PIN) as a first attempt to institutionalize a national nutrition program
• 1958   Reorganization of the PIN into the Food and Nutrition Research Center (FNRC) under the National Science and Development Board
• 1960   Organization of the National Coordinating Council on Food and Nutrition (NCCFN), a loose organization of government and non-government  agencies and organizations involved in nutrition and related projects.
• 1971   Promulgation of Executive Order No. 285, mandating the National Food and Agriculture Council (NFAC) to coordinate nutrition programs in addition to coordinating national food programs, thus, superseding the NCCFN.
• 1974   Promulgation of Presidential Decree No. 491 (Nutrition Act of the Philippines, 25 June 1974), which created the National Nutrition Council (NNC) as the highest policy-making and coordinating body on nutrition.
• 1987   Promulgation of Executive Order No. 234 (Reorganization Act of NNC, 22 July 1987) reaffirming the need for an intersectoral national policy-making and coordinating body on nutrition. It expanded the membership of the NNC to include the Departments of Budget and Management (DBM), Labor and Employment (DOLE), Trade and Industry (DTI), and National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA). The Department of Social Welfare and Development was named chair of the NNC Governing Board.
• 1988   Administrative Order No. 88 named the Department of Agriculture as the NNC Chair of the NNC Governing Board.
• 2005   Executive Order No. 472 named the Department of Health (DOH) as the chair of the NNC, with the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Interior of Local Government (DILG) as vice-chairs. In addition to its policy and coordinating functions, NNC was also tasked to focus on hunger-mitigation and authorized to generate and mobilize resources for nutrition and hunger-mitigation programs.
• 2007   Executive Order No. 616 designated the NNC as  oversight of the Accelerated Hunger-Mitigation Program to ensure that hunger-mitigation measures are in place, and are reported to the President.

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:

1. Secretary of Health, Chairperson
2. Secretary of Agriculture, Vice-Chair
3. Secretary of the Interior and Local Government, Vice-Chair
4. Secretary of Budget and Management
5. Secretary of Education
6. Secretary of Labor and Employment
7. Secretary of Science and Technology
8. Secretary of Social Welfare and Development
9. Secretary of Trade and Industry
10. 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:

1. Advise the Board on nutrition policy and program matters;
2. Recommend a comprehensive food and nutrition policy;
3. Coordinate with GOs and NGOs for nutrition program management and resource programming;
4. Initiate the formulation and develop measure to improve implementation of the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN);
5. Monitor and analyze nutrition and related socio-economic data for a periodic statement on the country’s nutrition situation;
6. Monitor and evaluate the PPAN;
7. Develop and implement a comprehensive advocacy, information and education strategy for the PPAN; and
8. 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 is the authority in ensuring the nutritional well-being of all Filipinos, recognized locally and globally, and led by a team of competent and committed public servants.
  
  

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:  

• Policy and program formulation and coordination;
• Capacity development;
• Promotion of good nutrition;
• Nutrition surveillance;
• Resource generation and mobilization
• Advocacy; and
• Partnership and alliance building

NNC CORE VALUES

Integrity

• We conduct our work and relate with our various stakeholders and partners with deep sense of honesty and openness.

Zeal

• We serve with enthusiasm and dedication characterized by versatility and dynamism, discipline and strict adherence to work ethics.

Excellence

• We provide high quality and timely service characterized by  a unified, innovative and competent performance. 

Sensitivity

• We respond to the needs of our  employees and various publics with love and respect and recognize the valuable contribution of each member of the organization.

Transparency 

• We conduct our business with openness and truthfulness with strict adherence to existing laws, rules, regulations of government and the principles of good governance.