Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos on Tuesday reaffirmed his advocacy on nurturing newborns and young children in their first 1,000 days to counter malnutrition and stunting.

He made the commitment during the launch of the Operations Manual on Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) Involvement in the Children’s First One Thousand Days Nutrition Program produced by the Children’s First One Thousand Days Coalition (CFDC) at the Manila Hotel over the weekend.

Abalos explained that he has always been an advocate of nutrition for children and pregnant women even during his days as a local chief executive for the City of Mandaluyong.

“This was also my advocacy when I was a local official. Patuloy po ang ating suporta upang labanan at tuldukan ang malnutrition at stunting ng ating mga anak sa mga barangay,” he said.

The DILG Secretary, as the ex-officio Vice Chairperson of the National Nutrition Council Governing Board, said that the department is committed to supporting Republic Act No. 11148 or the “Kalusugan at Nutrisyon ng Mag-Nanay Act.”

In a recent memorandum, Abalos directed local government units (LGUs) to prioritize the nutrition of pregnant and lactating women, and newborn children under two years of age, especially those residing in disaster-prone and geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas.

He further committed to empowering LGUs to integrate maternal, neonatal, and child health and nutrition programs into Local Nutrition Action Plans, fostering policies that champion local investments in nutrition.

During his term as Mandaluyong City mayor, the Nutrition Honor Award, which was the highest accolade conferred by the National Nutrition Council to an LGU, was conferred to the city for three consecutive years.

He was cited for his Millenium Baby Project, which provided care for women and their babies, and the creation of the Breast Feeding Patrol, a group of breastfeeding mothers who can be pulled during emergencies to breastfeed hungry babies.

During the launch, Abalos congratulated the CFDC for coming up with the Operations Manual which he said is a critical contribution to ending malnutrition in the country.

The manual outlines precise interventions throughout the pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, and post-pregnancy stages with the ultimate goal of optimizing the health of both mother and infant.

To recall, the CFDC and DILG last December signed a memorandum of agreement to help nurture Filipino children during their formative years to combat malnutrition and stunting.