14/08/2026
PMNP RTWG strengthens regional push to improve nutrition outcomes and reduce stunting
**LEGAZPI CITY, Albay — August 13, 2026.** — The DOH Bicol Center for Health Development and its partner agencies convened the 3rd Quarter Regional Technical Working Group (RTWG) Meeting of the Philippine Multisectoral Nutrition Project (PMNP) to strengthen coordination and support for local government units (LGUs) in accelerating nutrition interventions across the region.
The meeting focused on updates on PMNP implementation, with RTWG members discussing how their respective agencies can further assist LGUs in maximizing the technical assistance, resources, and other support provided by the national government.
The PMNP is designed to increase the simultaneous delivery and utilization of nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions while strengthening key behaviors and practices that contribute to the reduction of child stunting. The project also seeks to improve the delivery of nutrition and primary health services at the community and local levels.
For the RTWG, achieving PMNP targets is more than meeting project indicators. It represents concrete progress in ensuring that pregnant women, infants, young children, and families receive the interventions and services they need at the right time.
“Every target achieved represents a child reached, a mother supported, a family empowered, and an opportunity to prevent malnutrition,” underscored the importance of sustained multisectoral action during the meeting.
This is particularly critical as stunting remains a major public health concern in the region. The latest nutrition data reported by the NNC showed that stunting among Filipino children aged 0–5 years increased from 23.6 percent in 2023 to 25.3 percent in 2025. The NNC emphasized that stunting can cause lasting effects on children's physical and cognitive development, highlighting the urgency of scaling up effective interventions during the first 1,000 days of life.
Against this backdrop, the successful implementation of PMNP interventions at the LGU level can contribute significantly to improving the region's nutrition and health outcomes. Increased access to maternal and child health services, improved infant and young child feeding practices, micronutrient interventions, sanitation, social and behavioral change activities, and other nutrition-sensitive actions can collectively address the multiple causes of malnutrition.
The RTWG also discussed preparations for the upcoming internal verification, emphasizing the need to ensure that participating LGUs are adequately prepared, their accomplishments are properly documented, and necessary technical support is available throughout the process.
The verification process is seen not simply as a compliance activity, but as an opportunity to assess progress, identify implementation gaps, strengthen local systems, and provide timely assistance to LGUs. Ensuring that reported accomplishments reflect actual implementation will also help the project and its partners make evidence-informed decisions and direct resources where they are most needed.
The meeting highlighted the importance of convergence among national government agencies and LGUs in translating available resources into actual services and improved nutrition practices in communities.
As the PMNP moves forward, DOH Bicol CHD and its RTWG partners reaffirmed their commitment to sustained coordination, technical assistance, and collaboration with LGUs.
Ultimately, the success of the project will be measured not only by the number of targets accomplished, but by the changes experienced by children and families—fewer children becoming stunted, healthier mothers and children, better nutrition practices, and stronger local systems capable of sustaining nutrition gains.
Through continued multisectoral action, the PMNP provides an important platform for turning investments in nutrition into tangible improvements in health and human development across the Bicol Region.
