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Directors Bio 3471 2756

AZUCENA MILANA-DAYANGHIRANG, MD, MCH, CESO III
ASSISTANT SECRETARY and EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
NATIONAL NUTRITION COUNCIL

Dr. Azucena M. Dayanghirang is an experienced public health leader. For the past 29 years, she has been a facilitator and a trainer for various health programs particularly on Maternal Child Health and Nutrition. She has served the people of Davao as City Nutrition Action Officer from 1991-1995; Chief of the Technical Services Division and Medical Officer VI of Davao City Health Office from 1996 to 2005; as well as the Provincial Health Officer II and Provincial Nutrition Action Officer of Davao del Sur from 2008 to 2016.

During her stint in the local government, she led the City Nutrition Committee in the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of health and nutrition programs. She initiated the “Fresh Milk Supplemental Feeding Program,” which led to the reduction of protein-energy malnutrition among 0-6-year-old children. She also successfully lobbied for the regularization of 32 Nutritionist-Dietitians deployed in the 16 Districts of Davao City in 1996.

In 2016, she was elected as the National President of the Nutrition Action Officers' Association of the Philippines (NAOPA), Inc. Shortly after, she was appointed as Deputy Executive Director of the National Nutrition Council (NNC), an attached agency of the Department of Health, Philippines. In August 2019, Dr. Dayanghirang was appointed as the Executive Director of the NNC. Currently, she is designated as the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Philippines Government Focal Point and most recently, appointed as a member of the Executive Committee of the Global Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement representing Asia and Papua New Guinea.

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte signed the appointment of Dr. Dayanghirang to Career Executive Service Officer (CESO) Rank III effective 3 December 2020. Recently, she was upgraded to Executive Director IV with the rank of Assistant Secretary as approved by President Duterte through Executive Secretary Salvador C. Medialdea on 21 July 2021.

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Category: Directors Corner

0407 Ceremonial Handing

On 4 April 2022, Assistant Secretary and Executive Director Azucena M. Dayanghirang traveled to Barangay Matti, Digos City, Davao del Sur for the ceremonial handing over of Sangguniang Panlalawigan Resolution No. 22-868 which expresses the August Body’s profound appreciation and gratitude to Asec. Dayanghirang for her unwavering support to the Province of Davao del Sur.

Asec. Dayanghirang was the province's Provincial Health Officer II before her appointment to the National Nutrition Council - Department of Health. After having been informed of the status of the Davao del Sur Provincial Hospital, she immediately reached out to assist for the early resolution of the current situation of the said hospital.

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Category: Directors Corner

PRRD Message

My warmest greetings to the National Nutrition Council as it holds its 2021 National Nutrition Awarding Ceremony.

I am one with you in honoring the outstanding Local Government Units (LGUs) and Local Nutrition Focal Points (LNFPs) who have contributed much to the effective and efficient implementation of our health and nutrition programs. Congratulations to both the National Nutrition Council and all the awardees for the successful partnership that resulted in the improved well-being of our people, especially of infants and young children.
 

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Category: Directors Corner

0328 ManCon S2022

The NNC Management and 17 Regional Nutrition Program Coordinators gathered last March 24-25 for the first quarter Management Conference (ManCon) Series of 2022, held at the NNC Central office and via Zoom.

The 2-day conference, which was presided over by Assistant Secretary of Health and Executive Director Azucena M. Dayanghirang, covered all actions taken on the agreements made from the previous ManCon s2021, a workshop, regional updates and initiatives, and NNC Division Heads' progress reports.

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Category: Directors Corner

0329 EU Giz

On 28 March 2022, the appraisal team from the European Union-German Agency for International Cooperation (EU-GIZ) met with Assistant Secretary and Executive Director Azucena M. Dayanghirang, the SUN Philippines Focal Point, South East Asia Lead Focal Point and  SUN ExeCom Member, and the National Nutrition Council Secretariat management via teleconference to discuss their plan to support the implementation of Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN)  3.0. to step up efforts in fighting hunger and malnutrition, as well as provide technical assistance to SUN countries like the Philippines.

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0328 SUN Asia Meeting

On 21 March 2022, the first Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Asia Regional Virtual Meeting was held to launch a consultative approach among all SUN countries in the South and Southeast Asia and the Pacific region, which encompasses 12 countries and 3 Indian states, all committed to scaling up nutrition. The overall goal of these regional meetings is to establish and strengthen a regional dynamic in order to better harness regional opportunities in fighting malnutrition together. Ms. Gerda Verburg, the United Nations (UN) Assistant Secretary General and Coordinator of the SUN Movement, greeted the SUN Asia Regional Focal Points and kicked off the meeting with remarks on the importance of country and regional leadership.

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Category: Directors Corner

0329 Vitamin Angels

In celebration of National Women’s Month, the Vitamin Angels hosted a live webinar to honor Filipino women and their contributions to health and development, with the aim of promoting a deeper understanding of the importance, gains, and challenges of gender equality and women empowerment.

Assistant Secretary and Executive Director Azucena M. Dayanghirang shared her insights on ensuring gender equality and women empowerment in the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN). She mentioned in her presentation that the NNC, as the country’s highest policy making body on nutrition, will harmonize its Gender and Development (GAD) guidelines with Harmonized Gender and Development Guidelines (HGDG) for the integration of gender and development concerns in nutrition programs and policies within the context of the PPAN, the country’s framework for nutritional improvement.

  1. Philippines identifies nutrition priorities for 2022
  2. NNC Governing Board gives a go-ahead to 2 new policies
  3. Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Business Network in the Philippines
  4. NNC ED highlights efforts of NNC as a reactor during the 2nd NEP Forum
  5. 2nd NEP Forum focuses on results of PPAN evaluation