School-Based Nutrition Promotion Program: Philippines’ Country Profile

Abstract:
School-Based Nutrition Promotion Program: The Philippines’ Country Profile aims to serve as a reference material for schools not only in the Philippines but also throughout Southeast Asia, to learn about and enhance the implementation of School-Based Nutrition Promotion (SBNP) programs and activities. This book highlights current governance and major policies and regulations for nutrition policy, planning, program formulation, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation within the country, including the Nutrition Act of the Philippines, Presidential Decree on the Barangay Nutrition Program, and Masustansyang Pagkain Para sa Batang Pilipino Act (Literally means healthy food for the Filipino child). There are many success stories of the implementation of major SBNP Programs and Innovations covered in this book, comprising nutrition education program, the School-Based Feeding Program (SBFP) and SBFP during the COVID-19 pandemic as a nutrition services program, and other nutrition support programs such as the Integrated School Nutrition Model (ISNM) that links nutrition education, school-based feeding, and school gardens as known as Gulayan sa Paaralan (vegetable gardens in schools). These success stories are complemented by some best practices, lessons learned, and challenges in the implementation and sustainability of the SBNP program. There is also an explanation of how the Philippines addresses challenges along with potential areas for development in the implementation of SBNP programs and policies. This book is meant to give inputs for research, capacity development, advocacy, and policy-making by governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and academic and research institutions, in order to solve gaps in SBNP implementation in the respective country.