The Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) has approved the Dietary Supplementation Program in response to the rising number of families experiencing involuntary hunger in the past months because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The DSP is one of the main interventions under the PPAN 2017-2022 nutrition-specific program to address the increasing prevalence rate on stunting and wasting in the country.

Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Zero Hunger Chair Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said they are pushing for the conduct of the Dietary Supplementation Program (DSP) for both pregnant and children 6-23 months.

The program involves the house-to-house distribution of nutritious food products––food packs produced by the DOST-FNRI (Department of Science and Technology – Food and Nutrition Research Institute) such as nutribuns, iron fortified rice, instant laing, and instant pochero.

For its part, the National Nutrition Council has been coordinating with the LGUs for the collection and consolidation of the masterlists of actual number of 4-22 months old children, stunted and wasted 4-22 months old children based on 2020’s most recent nutrition assessment and 0-7 months nutritionally at-risk pregnant women.

Nograles said the National Nutrition Council’s Operation Timbang will help identify stunted and wasted children who will receive the assistance.

The program is consistent with Republic Act 11148, or the “Kalusugan at Nutrition ng Mag-Nanay Act” or “The First 1,000 Days Law,” which President Duterte signed on Nov. 29, 2018.