Report: 3.3 Million Filipino Children Below 5 Years Old Are Underweight

November 25, 2009 3:40 p.m. EST

Manila, Philippines (AHN) - While majority of western nations are grappling with obesity problems, the Philippines continues to battle malnourishment among its young children. According the the 7th National Nutrition Survey released Monday by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute, 3.3 million Filipino children under five years old are underweight.

The 3.3 million undernourished children compose 26.2 percent of the zero to 5 age bracket. It is lower than the 34.5 percent registered in 1990, but higher than the 24.6 percent logged in 2005.

FNRI Director Dr. Mario Capanzana admitted that with these data, the Philippines may not meet the Millennium Development Goal target of cutting malnutrition by 50 percent from 1990 level. For the country to reach the MDG target by 2015, undernutrition must be reduced by 1.27 percent annually.

The regions where undernutrition are pronounced among pre-schoolers include the Mimraopa (made up of the provinces of Marinduque, Occidental Mindoro, Romblon and Palawan) Bicol, Western Visayas and Eastern Visayas. These are the regions with high rates of poverty and unemployment.

The FNRI has been conducting the nutrition survey across the Philippines for the past three decades. It was made from May to December 2008, with 6,000 households from 17 regions and 80 provinces participating.