Situation analysis of ECCD-F1KD initiatives in selected UNICEF-KOICA provinces

Despite the Philippines’ sustained economic growth, persistently high malnutrition remains to be a significant issue in the country, especially in a number of subnational regions. This clearly illustrates the urgent need to examine the formulation and delivery of health and nutrition initiatives particularly for children in their first 1000 days at the local level. This integrative report draws together the key findings from the situation analyses concerning early childhood care and development (ECCD) for the first 1000 days (F1KD) of children in three UNICEF-KOICA areas namely Northern Samar, Western Samar and Zamboanga del Norte. The key objective is to examine the contextual factors that influence the delivery of ECCD-F1KD efforts in these areas. The discussion is partitioned into three key themes: policy and governance, the delivery ECCD-F1KD programs and services, and the nurturing care practices of parents and caregivers. The analyses implemented qualitative analysis of primary data gathered through interviews and focus group discussions with key stakeholders such as local chief executives, local planners and budgeting officers, program managers, frontline workers and parents/caregivers. This is supplemented by other documents that include data on health budgets and key nutrition indicators. The study found that access to and delivery of ECCD-F1KD programs and services is greatly affected by the following factors - lack of economic development/opportunities for most of the LGUs leading to low tax revenue base and poor capacity of many households to access such interventions; lack of integrated planning at the LGU level; lack of coordination in planning and budgeting; the absence of proper monitoring and evaluation; questionable quality of data coming from the OPT; lack of capacity of volunteer health workers; overburdened midwives; difficulty of reaching GIDAs due to security concerns and geographical barriers; and lack of awareness in some parents and even in local government leaders/officials, among others.