Iloilo City reports improved child nutrition status

The nutritional status of preschool children in Iloilo City continues to improve, with consolidated reports showing a decline in malnutrition cases.

The city achieved 84% coverage, reaching 37,872 children aged 0–59 months out of the 45,267 target, as Community Nutritionist-Dietitian Lance Ivan Trespeces reported during a press conference on July 2, 2026.

Trespeces credited sustained programs such as Operation Timbang Plus, micronutrient distribution, breastfeeding promotion, district-level nutrition education, and growth monitoring for the positive results, along with supplemental feeding and community nutrition services.
Despite improvements, Trespeces cautioned that malnutrition remains a burden in forms of undernutrition, overnutrition, and micronutrient deficiencies.

“Nutrition is not simply about eating more, it is about eating the right kind of food,” he said, encouraging families to follow the Pinggang Pinoy model and prioritize proper nutrition during the first 1,000 days of life.

Current data for the first half of 2026 show that 359 children are underweight, 521 are stunted, and 366 are overweight or obese.
Weight-for-age records indicate 37,243 children are normal, while 56 are severely underweight and 303 are underweight.

Height-for-age data show 36,840 normal, 92 severely stunted, and 429 stunted. Weight-for-height or length results list 37,403 normal, 27 severely wasted, and 76 moderately wasted, totaling 103, while 213 are overweight and 153 are obese.

Trespeces noted possible factors affecting children’s health: “I think this may be the result of children being less active, more on gadgets, and the easy availability of processed food. We need to blast our programs further to educate and expand our scope in the city,” he added.

“We at the Nutrition Center, together with the City Health Office, remain committed to working with barangays, schools, health care workers, partner agencies, and the community to ensure every Ilonggo child has the opportunity to grow healthy, active, and well-nourished,” Trespeces affirmed. (Iloilo City PIO)