The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Department of Health (DOH) have officially launched the joint digital information system — a total leap from an old, manual process to a digitalized approach.
The Philippine Multi-sectoral Nutrition Program (PMNP) – Information System (IS) is designed to revolutionize the monitoring and delivery of essential government services to nutrition-vulnerable sectors, particularly during the critical period of a child’s first 1,000 days of life.
“This information system is an essential step toward accomplishing our common goal of addressing the complex and multi-dimensional challenges of malnutrition and stunting,” DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian said in a message delivered by Undersecretary Monina Josefina Romualdez of the agency’s Operations Group (OG) during the project launch at the Dr. Jose Fabella Hospital in Sta. Cruz, Manila last Wednesday (April 30).
Led by the DOH in partnership with the DSWD, the PMNP-IS unifies nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive data from the two agencies and other program implementers.
The system functions as a centralized platform that consolidates essential data related to the health and nutrition needs of pregnant women and children under 2 years old.
Secretary Gatchalian said the harmonized access to accurate data empowers the government to better understand the dynamic challenges that children and mothers are facing, and enables implementers to strategize more effective, targeted initiatives that directly benefit the sector.
“Following our President’s brand of governance, work is more efficiently done if we employ a whole-of-government approach. More than just a project, the PMNP is a framework for our inter-agency efforts as we journey toward achieving a society that is not plagued by issues of nutritional deficiencies,” the DSWD chief pointed out.
Secretary Ted Herbosa, in his keynote message, thanked the DSWD for its support to the system and the broader goals of the PMNP.
The DOH chief underscored the importance of innovation and collaboration in realizing a society where children are empowered to reach their full potential — free from socioeconomic implications of hunger and stunting.
“Through this platform, we can track, monitor, and ensure that vital nutrition services reach the right people at the right time,” Secretary Herbosa said.
The PMNP is a comprehensive project launched to combat malnutrition and stunting among children in the Philippines.
It aims to improve nutrition and health outcomes through a multi-sectoral approach, involving key government agencies like the DSWD and the DOH, and international partners, including the World Bank and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
The other DSWD officials present during the PMNP-IS launch were Assistant Secretary Johannes Paulus Acuña of the Information and Communications Technology Management Service (ICTMS) and Director Bernadette Mapue-Joaquin of the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS).
World Bank representatives led by Lead Economist and Human Development Program Leader for Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei Tara Beitelle also attended the event. (LSJ)