The Participative Nutrition Enhancement Approach (PNEA) utilizes a participative strategy in preventing malnutrition through the life cycle approach (from womb to tomb), as well as promoting food production and market-driven livelihood activities at the household level. Specifically, it facilitates the implementation of the national nutrition program, the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition, at the local level and strengthens the skills of key nutrition and health providers on health and nutrition development activities.
One of the important elements of PNEA is the promotion and utilization of KALINGA mix. An inexpensive and nutritious food supplement adopted by BIDANI from the INSUMIX (Infant Supplementary Mixture) of the DOST-Food and Nutrition Research Institute, KALINGA is a mixture of rice, munggo (mungbean), and sesame seed, which provides energy and nutrients to children. It is good not only for weaning children, but also for pregnant, lactating mothers, the elderly, and growing children.
Some of the activities in PNEA include the street food vending and production of KALINGA, trainings and demonstrations on using the mix, and the development of various recipes using the nutritious mix.