Managing health systems is complicated enough without the COVID-19 pandemic. The Zuellig Family Foundation is proud to have trained mayors who have ably risen to the challenge. All underwent the ZFF’s health leadership and governance program.

Toni Yulo-Loyzaga, a ZFF trustee, pointed out the observed leadership skills, starting with leveraging personal and professional background.

During the recently concluded online forum organized by ZFF, local chief executives from its partner provinces and cities mentioned their different careers before joining politics. This, according to Loyzaga, adds value to their role because it allows them to use a wider lens in understanding health challenges. Koronadal City Vice Mayor Peter Miguel developed advocacy for reducing maternal deaths when his late wife, who worked as an obstetrician-gynecologist, told him that no mother should die of childbirth. He strengthened maternal and child care in his city by upskilling the barangay health workers (BHWs).

Loyzaga noted that ZFF LCEs value partnerships with the academe and the private sector, whom Loyzaga said must be valued not just as donors, but as co-implementers. Zamboanga City Mayor Ma. Isabelle Climaco-Salazar involved private groups and government agencies in the city’s health agenda focusing on teenage pregnancy, rights of women and children, tuberculosis, and contraceptive use. Collaborations with the private sector allowed the city to manage the influx of locally stranded individuals and returning Filipinos amid the pandemic.

But effective health leadership does not end with owning and creating solutions. Loyzaga pointed out how trust-building is at the heart of behavioral change and public governance. LCEs must reach out to understand and build trust with their constituents. “It is the glue that binds our communities,” said Loyzaga.

Lastly, Loyzaga reminded the leaders to recognize the value of risk communications and the need to integrate it into their health programs at the very beginning. Risk communication builds trust and cooperation among the people and enables mutual dialogue and participatory decision-making. ZFF conducted a series of online forums to highlight the accomplishments of its partner local government units (LGU) whose health leaders participated in the USAID-supported Institutionalization of Health Leadership and Governance Program. The IHLGP aimed to help LGUs provide constituents easier access to quality healthcare services and improve health outcomes.

There will likely be more stunted, wasted, and underweight children because of COVID-19. Without proper interventions, these children are put to a disadvantaged up to their adult lives.

It was Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, who also heads the government’s hunger task force, who expressed the bleak expectation following the September SWS poll that showed 7.6 million households had experienced involuntary hunger at least once in the past three months.

The Zuellig Family Foundation, through its City Nutrition Governance Program, works with Puerto Princesa, Tacurong, and Tagum to improve nutrition in the first 1000 days, and mitigate the impacts of the pandemic as well as integrate nutrition into their overall COVID-19 response programs.

The city mayors aim to address the unsustainability of food packs distribution and cash amelioration programs, and then make their constituents more food self-sufficient.

Puerto Princesa supports the organic backyard gardening by distributing gardening and farming tools, seedlings, and information materials to families in barangays where malnutrition cases are high.

Tacurong City appointed a new city action nutrition officer, activated the city and barangay nutrition councils, and upgraded front-line health workers’ skills.  Pregnant women and mothers with malnourished children get priority seed allocation.

Tagum City’s agriculture office introduced programs that brought fresh produce directly to barangays, encouraged residents to plant on vacant lots around the city, and gave residents free access to seeds and seedlings.