The National Nutrition Council (NNC) announces the theme for this years Nutrition

Month celebration in July which is

First 1000 Days ni baby pahalagahan para sa malusog na kinabukasan.

The theme focuses on the first 1000 days of life starting from conception and before
the second birthday of the child. It is during this period when growth faltering
happens. Many studies have shown a link between undernutrition, especially
stunting, in the first years of life and overnutrition in the later years. Thus, the First
1000 Days has been called the golden window of opportunity for a comprehensive
package of nutrition and related interventions to achieve significant changes in
reduction in child stunting, underweight and wasting, at the same time contribute to
complete child development.

Highlighting the First 1000 Days during Nutrition Month in July 2016 aims to create
awareness on the importance of proper infant and young child feeding practices,
particularly exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months and giving appropriate
complementary food after six months while continuing breastfeeding. The
celebration also aims to promote collaboration among various stakeholders both at
the national and local levels for programs serving families with pregnant mothers and
children less than 2 years old. The 2016 Nutrition Month celebration will also serve
as a venue for the launching of the Early Childhood Care and Development
Intervention Package (ECCD-IP) for the First 1000 Days.
The NNC leads the ECCD-IP First 1000 Days program which aims to contribute to
the full development of the child through integrated services of health, nutrition, early
education, and social services for improved quality of the countrys human resource
base as a contribution to reduce poverty. It addresses the call for a "holistic
approach to the provision of health, nutrition, education, and social welfare services
to children 0-8 years of age", but with an even more refined focus on the first 1000

days of life. Specifically, the ECCD-IP First 1000 Days aims to: 1) reduce mortality
and morbidity rates among children 0-23 months old; 2) reduce the prevalence of
stunting and wasting among children 0-23 months old; and 3) increase the
percentage of children 0-23 months old meeting developmental milestones. The
ECCD-IP First 1000 Days will be implemented in the Accelerated and Sustainable
Anti-Poverty Program (ASAPP) municipalities and cities from the Category 1
provinces covering a total of 9 regions, 10 provinces, 10 cities and 42 municipalities,
from 2016-2018.
The NNC encourages all sectors to plan and celebrate Nutrition Month in July along
this theme. The NNC shall coordinate with national and local governments, nongovernment organizations, private sector, media, the academe, and other
stakeholders to increase awareness about the First 1000 Days.
The chosen theme is a modification of the theme contest entry Unang 1000 days in
baby pahalagahan para sa malusog na kinabukasan which was submitted by Ms.
Desiree P. Reyes of Mayondon, Los Baos, Laguna.

Elementary and high schools all over the country will be celebrating the National
Nutrition Month or Buwan ng Nutrisyon this July. According to the National Nutrition
Council (NNC), the theme for this years celebration is First 1000 days ni baby
pahalagahan para sa malusog na kinabukasan (Nurture your babys first 1000 days for
a healthy future).
In a statement, NNC explained that the theme aims to highlight the significance of the
first 1000 days of life, which roughly covers a childs first three years. The first 1000
days has been called the golden window of opportunity for a comprehensive package of
nutrition and related interventions to achieve significant changes in reduction in child
stunting, underweight and wasting, at the same time contribute to complete child
development, the council said.
The chosen theme is based on the winning entry of Desiree P. Reyes of Los Baos,
Laguna. This years nutrition month has two main objectives:

1) To create awareness on the importance of proper infant and young child feeding
practices, particularly exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months and giving
appropriate complementary food after six months while continuing breastfeeding.
2) To promote collaboration among various stakeholders both at the national and local
levels for programs serving families with pregnant mothers and children less than two
years old.
The national nutrition month is celebrated every July as stipulated in Presidential Decree
491, which also mandated the creation of NNC in 1974. It must be noted that during that
time, then-President Ferdinand Marcos had both executive and legislative powers.
The Department of Education is expected to release a memorandum sometime this
June outlining suggested activities to be organized by schools in connection to the
Nutrition Month celebration.