Nutri GIDA Project

LOOK | Kayla Nicole Buñag, Project Technical Assistant of the NutriGIDA Project, attended the National Nutrition Council XI’s (NNC XI) Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement Strategic Meeting and Business Conference on May 21, 2026.

Organized by NNC XI, the event brought together representatives from the Academe, Business, Civil Society, and Youth sectors to discuss the nutrition situation in the Davao Region, the milestones of the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) 2023-2028, and key initiatives of participating organizations toward improving nutrition in the region.

During the event, Ms. Buñag presented NutriGIDA’s accomplishments and ongoing initiatives through its 6Ps framework, highlighting the project’s commitment to improving the nutrition of children in flood-prone and GIDA barangays in Davao de Oro.

The NutriGIDA Project also reaffirmed its continued support for the SUN Network by strengthening nutrition interventions in the region through research aligned with its project objectives.

LOOK | Kayla Nicole Buñag, Project Technical Assistant of the NutriGIDA Project, was part of the team from the University of the Philippines Mindanao and the Davao del Norte Provincial Agriculturist’s Office that placed 1st at the Polisiya, Pasya, Siyensya Policy Hackathon held on April 7-8, 2026.

The hackathon, organized by UPLB’s Development Innovations and Policy Laboratory (DIP Lab) in partnership with UP Mindanao’s GAD Lab in the AANR Sector, the GAD Office, and the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), focused on developing evidence-based and socially inclusive policy proposals.

The team’s policy brief, Make Her Visible: Modernizing the Local Labor Recognition Registry, highlights the lack of recognition of women’s unpaid labor, which is often excluded from official records and support systems, and proposes updating the local registry system to include unpaid family workers to improve access to financial and agricultural support services.

Congratulations, Ms. Buñag! 🏆🎉



Photo credits: UP Mindanao GAD Lab in AANR Sector

LOOK | The NutriGIDA team of the University of the Philippines Mindanao formally signed Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with the municipalities of Davao de Oro.

Last December 1, 2025, the team visited Mawab, Monkayo, and Nabunturan for the official signing ceremonies. The agreements formally recognize the project’s ongoing initiatives and establish a framework for sustained collaboration within the province.

Under these partnerships, several key project activities have already been completed, including household surveys and key informant interviews with government agencies on children’s nutrition and the local impacts of flooding. The MOUs will also support the project’s transition into its next phase, guiding the development of locally appropriate nutrition solutions for school-aged children.

Holiday cheer from the NutriGIDA Team 🎄✨

Wishing everyone a joyful Christmas and a New Year full of health and hope.

LOOK | NutriGIDA Project Technical Assistants served as panelists during the poster presentation of the 4th-year BS Agribusiness Economics (ABE) students of the ABE 199 class.

Ms. Maria Angela Salazar and Ms. Kayla Nicole Buñag were panelists for the first batch of presenters on October 22, 2025, while Ms. Zairel Crish Sarillana and Ms. Christine Magadan were panelists for the second batch on October 24, 2025.

The activity was facilitated by Asst. Prof. Imee Marie Acopiado, instructor of the course and a NutriGIDA Project staff member. Students presented thesis works authored by BS ABE alumni, covering a diverse range of topics in agriculture, aquaculture, gender studies, nutrition, and related fields.

As panelists, they provided constructive feedback to help students enhance the clarity, design, and content of their posters and guided them in effectively communicating their research objectives, methods, and findings to both academic and general audiences.

This initiative supports one of NutriGIDA’s core goals of fostering student development by training students and gaining hands-on experience through thesis advising.

LOOK | NutriGIDA Project Technical Assistants Maria Angela Salazar, Zairel Crish Sarillana, Kayla Nicole Buñag, and Christine Magadan attended the Department of Science and Technology-Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI) Regional Dissemination Forum for the Davao Region, held at Seda Hotel, Davao City on October 21, 2025.

The forum presented the results of the 2023 National Nutrition Survey, providing valuable insights into the region’s nutritional status. In the afternoon, participants from government agencies, non-government and private organizations, and the academe engaged in a policy workshop to develop multisectoral strategies to address the triple burden of malnutrition in the region.

LOOK | The NutriGIDA Project hosted a 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐋𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬-𝐓𝐨-𝐏𝐚𝐲 (𝐖𝐓𝐏) 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐍𝐨𝐧-𝐇𝐲𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐬 on October 2, 2025, at the Case Room, School of Management Building, University of the Philippines Mindanao.

The lecture featured 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟. 𝐑𝐨𝐝𝐨𝐥𝐟𝐨 𝐌. 𝐍𝐚𝐲𝐠𝐚 𝐉𝐫., 𝐏𝐡𝐃, a professor of Agricultural Economics at Texas A&M University and a globally recognized authority in food, health, and behavioral economics. Prof. Nayga discussed key valuation concepts, including Willingness-to-Pay (WTP) and Willingness-to-Accept (WTA), and explored their applications in economic, field, and natural experiments, as well as emerging approaches such as social experiments and neuro-economics.

The session highlighted the role of experimental and behavioral economics in informing effective policy design, market interventions, and research on nutrition and consumer behavior.

The public lecture was attended by participants both on-site and online. Face-to-face participants came from the University of the Philippines Mindanao and the University of Southeastern Philippines, while virtual attendees joined from the University of the Philippines Los Baños, Bicol University, Mindanao State University, Central Mindanao University, and DOST XI.

The lecture further strengthened the project’s goal of advancing research-driven understanding of consumer behavior and its implications for nutrition and public health.

Photo credits to UPMin PRO and UPMin SoABE

LOOK | The NutriGIDA Project conducted a 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩 𝐨𝐧 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬-𝐓𝐨-𝐏𝐚𝐲 (𝐖𝐓𝐏) 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐍𝐨𝐧-𝐇𝐲𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐬 on October 1, 2025, at the Case Room, School of Management Building, University of the Philippines Mindanao.

The workshop featured 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟. 𝐑𝐨𝐝𝐨𝐥𝐟𝐨 𝐌. 𝐍𝐚𝐲𝐠𝐚 𝐉𝐫., 𝐏𝐡𝐃, a Professor of Agricultural Economics at Texas A&M University and an internationally recognized expert in food, health, and behavioral economics, as the resource speaker. Prof. Nayga discussed methods for estimating consumers’ willingness to pay for non-hypothetical products, tackling topics such as contingent valuation, hypothetical bias, calibration, experimental auction theory, and types of auctions.

Participants also engaged in an auction simulation on fortified food products, where they applied experimental economics to study consumer behavior and product valuation. The session underscored the value of WTP studies in shaping evidence-based policies, nutrition research, and market-driven interventions.

Through initiatives like this, the NutriGIDA Project continues to build research capacity and promote efforts that support nutrition and health development.

The event was attended by faculty and students from the School of Management, Department of Food Science and Chemistry, and Department of Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science, alongside representatives from the UPMin Land Reservations Management Office, Technology Transfer and Business Development Office, Agri-Aqua Value Chain (AAVC) Lab, and the PCAARRD-UPMin-Landcare-LIFE (PULL).

Photo credits to UPMin PRO

LOOK | The NutriGIDA Team participated in the International Conference on Agricultural Economics and Development (ICAED) 2025, held at the Grand Regal Hotel in Davao City on September 10-11, 2025.

The team presented research studies focusing on nutrition and health, particularly in flood-prone and geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDA) in the Philippines. Their presentations showcased both field-based assessments and systematic reviews that contribute to the broader discussion on the nutrition of children and adolescents.

On the second day of the conference, the team joined the Health and Nutrition session and presented the following studies:
• 𝐍𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐍 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: 𝐀 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 by Ms. Zairel Crish Sarillana
• 𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧’𝐬 𝐍𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬: 𝐀 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 by Ms. Maria Angela Salazar
• 𝐍𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥-𝐀𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝-𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐆𝐈𝐃𝐀 𝐢𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐨 𝐝𝐞 𝐎𝐫𝐨 by Mr. Joseph Bengil
• 𝐍𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐀𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐝𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝-𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐆𝐈𝐃𝐀 𝐢𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐨 𝐝𝐞 𝐎𝐫𝐨, 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 by Ms. Kayla Nicole Buñag
• 𝐍𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝-𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐆𝐈𝐃𝐀 𝐢𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐨 𝐝𝐞 𝐎𝐫𝐨, 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 by Ms. Christine Magadan

Through these research outputs, the NutriGIDA Team continues to advance evidence-based insights that support nutrition and health development in local communities and across the ASEAN region.

LOOK | The NutriGIDA Team met with the Department of Science and Technology - Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD) last September 1, 2025, for a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Meeting.

The meeting focused on the progress of the NutriGIDA Project, including accomplished outputs, ongoing deliverables, financial utilization, and projected outcomes for the year.

Highlights of the NutriGIDA Project include its partnership with the municipalities of Davao de Oro and Davao de Oro State College (DDOSC), the successful completion of 2,040 survey questionnaires, ongoing collaboration with Dr. Rodolfo M. Nayga Jr. of Texas A&M University for a public lecture and workshop, the acceptance of five abstracts for presentation at the International Conference on Agricultural Economics and Development (ICAED) 2025, and the drafting of one policy brief.

Present were the NutriGIDA Team from the School of Management and the Department of Food Science and Chemistry, UP Mindanao, composed of Project Leader Prof. Pedro Alviola IV, Prof. Juma Novie Alviola, Assoc. Prof. Jon Marx Sarmiento, Asst. Prof. Imee Marie A. Acopiado, Asst. Prof. Roxanne T. Aguinaldo, Asst. Prof. Shemaiah Gail Placencia, Mr. Francis Levi A. Durano, Ms. Melissa P. Loquias, Ms. Christine B. Magadan, Ms. Maria Angela R. Salazar, and Ms. Zairel Crish Sarillana. They were joined by representatives from DOST-PCHRD, including Senior Science Specialist Ms. Marianne Joy Laya, Project Manager Ms. Christel Leo Romano, and Project Manager Ms. Raiza Sharmi Buan, as well as DOST-RHRDC Science Research Specialist Ms. Christine Flor Catoera.

Photo credits to UPMin PRO