Lingayen, Pangasinan — The Provincial Government of Pangasinan continues to scale up its health and nutrition initiatives as members of the Provincial Nutrition Committee (PNC) met for their Year-end Meeting last December 3, 2025, to present updates and finalize measures for the 2026 Pangasinan Nutrition Action Plan (PNAP).
Led by the Provincial Health Office (PHO), the meeting brought together representatives from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), DepEd School Division Offices, World Vision, and several provincial offices for a unified discussion on ongoing health interventions in communities and schools.
Programs currently benefiting families and students across the province such as the Healthy Learning Institution Programs for last-mile schools, the GUICOSINA-assisted Bantay Kalusugan feeding program, expanded maternal and child health services, Gulayan sa Paaralan, and wider health information campaigns, among others, were presented, all aimed at improving community health literacy.
Nutrition Program Manager Analiza Miranda also presented updates on Monitoring and Evaluation of Local Level Plan Implementation Protocol (MELLPI Pro). The system has helped the province in aligning with the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN), identify areas for support, recognize standout local practices, strengthen technical support for Nutrition Focal Points, and motivate high-performing LGUs.
Under the leadership of Governor Ramon V. Guico III, Chairman of the Provincial Nutrition Committee, Pangasinan has become one of the country’s top performers in health and nutrition program implementation. The province earned the National Bronze Award for Kampeon ng Kalusugan sa mga Komunidad and has been acknowledged as a model province for successfully enrolling 1.5 million Pangasinenses in PhilHealth YAKAP.
The province is also pushing for health system improvements. This includes the ongoing modernization of all of its 14 hospitals, continuous rollout of advanced medical equipment, and establishment of new healthcare facilities to ensure that remote barangays have better access to quality healthcare.
These efforts reflect the province’s long-term direction to build a stronger and more responsive health and nutrition system, anchoring on its vision of a “Home of well-nourished and the healthiest Pangasinenses.”
(Danna Laureano, Photo by Orland Llemos | PIMRO)
