With the objective of enjoining minds and shared passions, the country’s largest accredited organization of healthcare professionals in the nutrition and dietetics fields, the Nutritionist-Dietitians Association of the Philippines came strong and united once more in the recently concluded 63rd NDAP Annual Convention held at the SMX Lanang Premier Convention Center, Davao City.
The successful event was attended by 1,500 members, including government officials Health Secretary Francisco Duque and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte.
Anchoring on the theme “Road to Excellence: Bringing Education and Nutrition Together,” the event highlighted NDAP’s mission to reach out to its community of practitioners and various stakeholders through continuous professional education.
“One can only make a strong impact if you have a strong organization, and we are banking on the strength of 33 chapters located all over the country,” said NDAP president Zenaida Velasco.
While aimed at updating members with the latest advancements and ethical standards that shape the competitiveness of Filipino professionals in the food and nutrition service, the three-day congress also brought forth the timely relevance of disseminating evidence-based medical health information in the time of misinformation and fake news.
According to Eloisa Villaraza, NDAP vice president, the organization is firm in using digital technology to fight off false and misleading online content by spreading truthful, science-backed published information on health, wellness and nutrition.
In his keynote address, Duque hailed the important role of nutritionist-dietitians as partners toward the realization of the government’s health agenda which is to achieve “universal healthcare” for all Filipinos.
“Your profession has become one of our esteemed partners in the DOH in delivering quality health and nutrition services to more than 100 million Filipinos. Together, let us act now to promote healthy diets, reduce malnutrition, and promote well-being of the Filipinos through sustained, sincere efforts,” he emphasized.