MANILA — The National Nutrition Council on Wednesday said it supports a move to revive the nutribun feeding program to counter malnutrition.

Sen. Imee Marcos over the weekend led a pilot test of the nutribun feeding program in Rizal, Cebu, and Ilocos.

• 'Leveled-up' nutribuns to help solve malnutrition: Imee Marcos

“Alam naman natin na ang feeding program ay isang magandang istratehiya na nagbibigay sustansya sa katawan, kaya kami sa agency ay kaisa at lubos na sumusuporta sa plano ni Senator Imee,” said Azucena Dayanghirang, the council's executive director.

(We all know that a feeding program is one of the best strategies to give nutrients to our body. This is why we, in the agency, are supporting the plan of Senator Marcos.)

“Napakahalaga na maibalik ang nutribun feeding program lalo na para sa mga paaralan sa kadahilahan na ang hunger incidence ng mga Pilipino ay patuloy na tumataas sa nagdaang taon, lalo na ngayong COVID-19 pandemic," she said in a public briefing.

(It is important to bring back the nutribun feeding program most especially in our schools because the hunger incidence among Filipinos is growing, especially during the pandemic.)

• SWS: Fewer Filipino families went hungry in Q2 of 2022

Watch more News on iWantTFC

The Department of Science and Technology has developed a nutribun version with more micronutrients like iron and vitamin A, Dayanghirang noted.

The enhanced nutribun also contains 17.8 grams of protein and 504 calories or around the same amount of energy one can get from 2 cups of rice, she said.

• Gov't eyes food packs for children in place of feeding programs
• Gov't to launch 'enhanced' nutribun

If the government reintroduces the nutribun program in schools, it should also made available to younger children or those below 2 years old and to pregnant and lactating mothers, Dayanghirang suggested.

“Ito yung tinatawag natin na first 1,000 days population dahil sila ay higit nangangailangan ng dagdag na pagkain na maibibigay gaya ng enhanced nutribun,” she said.

(This is what we call the first 1,000 days population because they are in urgent need of additional food that the enhanced nutribun can give.)

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) introduced nutribun as a supplement in feeding programs to combat malnutrition among Philippine elementary school students during Ferdinand Marcos Sr.'s regime.

During a flood disaster in Central Luzon in the summer of 1972, some 8 million nutribuns were airdropped to the most severely affected areas. It was during this time that the buns came to be associated with the Marcoses.

• The lowdown on nutribun and its muddled Marcos ties