History
The Nutrition Center of the Philippines (NCP) was established in 1974 as a non-profit organization, with Dr. Florentino Solon as Executive Director.
Dr. Solon started his career in public health as a municipal health officer in Carmen, Cebu and subsequently worked with the Regional Office of the Ministry of Health, while lecturing at the Cebu Institute of Medicine. With a Master of Public Health, from the University of the Philippines, and a Diploma in Nutrition, from the London School Of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Dr Solon led NCP in designing innovative and practical approaches to reducing malnutrition.
Throughout the 1970s, one of the major problems facing public health nutrition in the Philippines was the lack of manpower and commodities to rehabilitate severely malnourished children. Equally pressing, was the need to educate families on infant and young-child care and nutrition.
NCP focused on utilizing the private sector for public good, and mobilizing resources to support the Philippine Government's nutrition programs.
In close partnership with the National Nutrition Council, NCP identified the need for village level volunteers for nutrition. These volunteers became known as Barangay Nutrition Scholars and their position was enacted into law through Presidential Decree 1569, in 1978.
NCP embarked on social marketing campaigns popularizing vegetables in the Filipino diet. To reach marginalized areas, NCP developed the Nutri-Bus - mobile buses equipped with TVs and video players – run by engineers and trained communicators who traveled regionally to council mothers on proper diet and care for their children, and reduce their families vulnerability to malnutrition.
Dr. Solon together with Dr. Barry Popkin and the late Dr. Michael Latham, demonstrated the value of food fortification and dietary diversity in reducing Vitamin A deficiency. In collaboration with Johns Hopkins University, NCP published one of the first clinical trials that showed the efficacy of margarine fortified with Vitamin A, in reducing vitamin A deficiency.
In 1993, NCP conducted the first nation-wide surveys on salt production in the Philippines, paving the way for salt iodization and contributing to the passing of the Philippine Food Fortification Law and the Act for Salt Iodization Nationwide. These laws resulted in policies that reduced Vitamin A Deficiency, Anemia, and Iodine Deficiency in the Philippines.
In partnership with Tufts University, Massachusetts, NCP contributed to studies utilizing deuterated-retinol (a dilution technique to assess total-body vitamin A stores), to better understand the absorption and metabolism of vitamin A and carotenoids in the body.
NCP established two subsidiary companies, Philippine Nutri-Foods Corporation and NCP Publishing Corporation in 1977, and began developing micronutrient-rich food products and educational and training materials.
NCP continues to provide organizations with nutritious food products, Micronutrient Powder, and develop educational materials used in peer-to-peer nutrition education programs throughout the country.
Dr. Solon started his career in public health as a municipal health officer in Carmen, Cebu and subsequently worked with the Regional Office of the Ministry of Health, while lecturing at the Cebu Institute of Medicine. With a Master of Public Health, from the University of the Philippines, and a Diploma in Nutrition, from the London School Of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Dr Solon led NCP in designing innovative and practical approaches to reducing malnutrition.
Throughout the 1970s, one of the major problems facing public health nutrition in the Philippines was the lack of manpower and commodities to rehabilitate severely malnourished children. Equally pressing, was the need to educate families on infant and young-child care and nutrition.
NCP focused on utilizing the private sector for public good, and mobilizing resources to support the Philippine Government's nutrition programs.
In close partnership with the National Nutrition Council, NCP identified the need for village level volunteers for nutrition. These volunteers became known as Barangay Nutrition Scholars and their position was enacted into law through Presidential Decree 1569, in 1978.
NCP embarked on social marketing campaigns popularizing vegetables in the Filipino diet. To reach marginalized areas, NCP developed the Nutri-Bus - mobile buses equipped with TVs and video players – run by engineers and trained communicators who traveled regionally to council mothers on proper diet and care for their children, and reduce their families vulnerability to malnutrition.
Dr. Solon together with Dr. Barry Popkin and the late Dr. Michael Latham, demonstrated the value of food fortification and dietary diversity in reducing Vitamin A deficiency. In collaboration with Johns Hopkins University, NCP published one of the first clinical trials that showed the efficacy of margarine fortified with Vitamin A, in reducing vitamin A deficiency.
In 1993, NCP conducted the first nation-wide surveys on salt production in the Philippines, paving the way for salt iodization and contributing to the passing of the Philippine Food Fortification Law and the Act for Salt Iodization Nationwide. These laws resulted in policies that reduced Vitamin A Deficiency, Anemia, and Iodine Deficiency in the Philippines.
In partnership with Tufts University, Massachusetts, NCP contributed to studies utilizing deuterated-retinol (a dilution technique to assess total-body vitamin A stores), to better understand the absorption and metabolism of vitamin A and carotenoids in the body.
NCP established two subsidiary companies, Philippine Nutri-Foods Corporation and NCP Publishing Corporation in 1977, and began developing micronutrient-rich food products and educational and training materials.
NCP continues to provide organizations with nutritious food products, Micronutrient Powder, and develop educational materials used in peer-to-peer nutrition education programs throughout the country.