FACES OF CEBU: Shaira Labastida-Alatraca, city nutritionist, health warrior

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Every month, Shaira Camille Labastida-Alatraca leaves her office and heads to barangays, not simply to distribute food, but to understand realities behind numbers.

The 30-year-old officer-in-charge of the Cebu City Nutrition Office (CCNO) said nutrition is rarely about what is served on a plate. It is shaped by household income, parents’ choices, access to healthy food, and the daily struggles of families trying to make ends meet.

These are the realities she has witnessed firsthand over nearly a decade working in public health nutrition, first with the Department of Health and the National Nutrition Council in Central Visayas, and since 2022 with the Cebu City Government.

As the country observes National Nutrition Month this July, Labastida-Alatraca believes that improving nutrition begins not only with government programs but also with understanding the lives of the people those programs are meant to serve.

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Real picture seen from grassroots

“I realized that if you really want to see the whole picture, you have to go down to the grassroots,” she told CDN Digital in an interview.

“That’s where you see the situation of families. That’s where you realize there are still many children and parents who need help.”

A Cebuana who grew up in Mambaling and now lives in Barangay Bulacao with her husband, Labastida-Alatraca did not initially envision herself working in public service.

A graduate of the University of San Carlos with a degree in Nutrition and Dietetics, she became a registered nutritionist-dietitian nearly 10 years ago.

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Ironically, she had originally planned to pursue a career in food service management or hospital dietetics after passing the licensure examination.

Landing a government job

Government service was not part of that plan.

Out of several applications she submitted after graduation, however, it was the Department of Health that offered her an opportunity despite having no professional experience.

She joined DOH Central Visayas in 2017 and was assigned to the National Nutrition Council Regional Office in Central Visayas, where she spent five years learning the realities of public health nutrition before transferring to the Cebu City Nutrition Office in 2022.

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Looking back, she considers that unexpected turn as the defining moment of her career.

Learning to love nutrition

Unlike many professionals who discover their calling early, Labastida-Alatraca admits nutrition was not her first dream.

As a high school student, she simply enjoyed food and cooking but was uncertain about what course to pursue in college.

Her mother, a nurse, suggested Nutrition and Dietetics.

Initially attracted by its connection to food preparation, she gradually discovered that nutrition was much more than recipes and meal planning.

As she progressed through college, she developed a deeper appreciation for the science behind food, health, and disease prevention.

Graduating with honors only reinforced that passion.

“I learned to love the course while I was studying,” she recalled.

Today, years after entering government service, that appreciation has evolved into something much broader.

Nutrition, she said, is ultimately about helping people live healthier lives.

Beyond feeding programs

Much of the public associates nutrition offices with feeding activities.

Labastida-Alatraca said the work goes much deeper.

The Cebu City Nutrition Office focuses its interventions on vulnerable sectors, particularly children under five years old, pregnant and lactating women, and older persons.

Among its flagship initiatives is the Dietary Supplementation Program, a 90-day milk feeding intervention for malnourished preschool children identified through Operation Timbang Plus and for nutritionally at-risk pregnant women.

But food alone, she stressed, cannot solve malnutrition.

Every feeding activity is paired with nutrition education sessions conducted by nutrition officers and the city’s network of City Nutrition Scholars assigned across Cebu City’s 80 barangays.

Parents and caregivers are taught practical lessons on healthy eating, proper food preparation, child nutrition, and balanced meals based on the Department of Science and Technology’s Pinggang Pinoy food guide.

“We don’t just give food,” she explained. “We also teach parents because the knowledge they gain is just as important.”

For Labastida-Alatraca, the most rewarding part of the job is not found in reports or statistics.

It comes during barangay visits.

Each nutrition officer oversees around 15 barangays and regularly monitors nutrition programs on the ground.

Over time, she has seen children recover, families become more engaged, and barangays invest more seriously in nutrition initiatives.

Some parents now approach her to say their children’s weight has improved after participating in nutrition programs.

Those conversations, she said, affirm that their work produces tangible results.

She has also witnessed a significant shift in how barangays view nutrition.

“When I first transferred to Cebu City, not all barangays fully understood nutrition programs,” she said. “Now, we’ve seen stronger support.”

According to Labastida-Alatraca, nearly all barangays now allocate funding specifically for nutrition initiatives, an encouraging development that allows communities to complement city-funded programs with their own interventions.

The challenge beyond government

Despite years of intervention, malnutrition remains one of Cebu City’s most persistent public health concerns.

While some years show improvements, others reveal increases in malnutrition rates.

Keeping those numbers consistently low remains one of the city’s biggest challenges.

Labastida-Alatraca said poverty continues to be one of the strongest drivers.

Many families struggle to afford nutritious food and instead rely on cheaper, highly processed alternatives that are readily available.

Busy work schedules also push some households toward fast food and convenience meals.

At the same time, she noted that malnutrition is no longer limited to undernutrition.

Overnutrition, including overweight and obesity, is becoming an equally important concern as changing lifestyles and increased purchasing power influence eating habits.

Behavioral factors also play a role.

Some families still prioritize non-essential expenses over nutritious food, while healthy eating practices promoted through nutrition education are not always sustained at home.

Changing those habits, she acknowledged, requires patience and continuous education.

Healthy eating need not be expensive

Labastida-Alatraca challenges the common belief that healthy food is always costly.

Using Pinggang Pinoy as a guide, she recommends building every meal around carbohydrates, protein, fruits, and vegetables.

Rice can be substituted with healthier options such as whole wheat bread when appropriate, while eggs provide an inexpensive, nutritious breakfast.

For lunch and dinner, she encourages choosing fish more often than pork, limiting fried food, and using healthier cooking methods such as boiling, steaming, or lightly sautéing instead of deep frying.

Equally important, she said, is eating vegetables every day and consuming a variety of fruits instead of relying on just one.

Simple local dishes such as utan bisaya already provide many of the nutrients families need.

“It’s not about expensive food,” she said. “It’s about making better choices with what’s available.”

Lessons from nearly a decade

Nearly 10 years in public health nutrition have also reshaped her own outlook.

The biggest lesson, she said, is that good health is built on balance and consistency rather than short-term diets or occasional healthy meals.

“Sustainability is the key,” she said.

Healthy habits, she explained, should become part of everyday life.

She also believes nutrition is one of the most effective forms of disease prevention.

The small decisions people make each day—what they eat, how active they are, and how consistently they care for themselves—can have lasting effects on their health.

A healthier Cebu begins at home

As National Nutrition Month highlights this year’s theme, “Food and Nutrition Security, Maging Priority! Sapat na Pagkain, Karapatan Natin (Let food and nutrition become a priority, sufficient food is our right)!”, Labastida-Alatraca hopes Cebuanos will recognize that healthy communities are built through everyday decisions.

She encourages families to choose nutritious food whenever possible, reduce food waste, support locally produced food, and practice healthy habits consistently.

“Small, consistent actions,” she said, “can create healthier families and, ultimately, a healthier Cebu.”

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