Duterte signs ‘First 1,000 Days’ Law

MANILA, Philippines —President Rodrigo Duterte has signed the First 1,000 Days Law which seeks to provide health and nutrition services to children during the first 1,000 days of their lives.

Duterte signed Republic Act 11148 or the “Kalusugan at Nutrisyon ng Mag-Nanay Act” last Nov. 29, a copy of which was shared to the media on Monday.

The new law “aims to provide comprehensive, sustainable multi-sectoral strategies and approaches to address health and nutrition problems of newborns, infants and young children, pregnant and lactating women and adolescent females, as well as multi-factoral issues that negatively affect the development of newborns, infants and young children, integrating the short, medium and long-term plans of the government to end hunger, improve health and nutrition, and reduce malnutrition.”

The law mandates the Department of Health (DOH), the National Nutrition Council (NNC) and Department of Agriculture (DA), in coordination with other state agencies and local government units, to formulate national nutrition policies, plans, strategies and approaches for the nutrition improvement, including, strategies on women, infant and young child, and adolescent nutrition.

The NNC Governing Board shall be composed of the DOH Secretary as the ex officio Chairperson, Agriculture chief and Interior Secretary as ex officio Vice Chairpersons.

The board also include Secretaries of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

The amount needed for the initial implementation of the new law will be charged against the appropriations of the DOH, DA, NNC and other relevant agencies. /je