Working Together Towards Mandatory Folic Acid Fortification: National Forum Brings Stakeholders Together for Prevention
MANILA, Philippines — August 25, 2026. — Government representatives, public health and healthcare professionals, industry representatives, advocates, families, and youth leaders came together at the National Forum on Folic Acid Fortification to strengthen collaboration toward mandatory folic acid fortification of wheat flour in the Philippines.
Held at the Manila Grand Opera Hotel and organized by the Spina Bifida Support Group Foundation, Inc. (SBSGF), the forum carried the theme “Working Together Towards Mandatory Folic Acid Fortification in the Philippines.”
The forum aimed to bring together key stakeholders from government, public health, healthcare, industry, families, and youth to discuss the importance of mandatory folic acid fortification as a public health measure for the prevention of neural tube defects and identify opportunities for collaboration toward advancing the policy in the Philippines.
Bringing Different Sectors Together
The forum opened with remarks from Dr. David Bolong, who emphasized the importance of bringing different sectors together to strengthen prevention efforts and advance mandatory folic acid fortification in the Philippines.
A video message of support from National Scientist Dr. Carmencita Padilla followed. Drawing from her lifelong advocacy for the prevention of birth defects, Dr. Padilla highlighted the important role of government in supporting this work and expressed her support for the food fortification initiative.
Her message underscored the importance of collective action with a simple call:
“Pagtulungan lang natin.”
Protecting Future Generations Through Prevention
Then National Nutrition Council (NNC) Director Usec. Albert Francis E. Domingo delivered the keynote address, “Protecting Future Generations through Prevention: A Multi-Sectoral Approach to Folic Acid Fortification.” In his keynote address, Undersecretary Domingo declared that mandating folic acid fortification in wheat flour is a vital, population-wide preventive measure against neural tube defects. With 20% of Filipino women folate deficient and traditional supplements missing the critical early gestation window, food fortification safely raises population levels. By leveraging existing flour infrastructure used for iron and vitamin A, this policy is highly cost-effective and ready for rollout, promising significant downstream savings for families and the national health system. The forum then moved from policy and public health perspectives to global and clinical experience.
Sharon Bustrak, Technical Advisor of the Food Fortification Initiative, presented global evidence and experiences on large-scale food fortification. Her presentation covered international approaches, implementation experiences, and the importance of data and monitoring in strengthening fortification programs.
A clinical perspective on neural tube defects was presented by Dr. Ronnie Baticulon, Pediatric Neurosurgeon, providing participants with another important perspective on the health impact of these conditions.
Together, these discussions connected the policy conversation with global experience and the realities encountered in healthcare.
Putting Faces and Stories Behind the Advocacy
One of the most meaningful parts of the forum
was the sharing of Spina Bifida family life stories.
Mrs. Carolyn and her son, JD Acosta, shared their experience of navigating the challenges associated with Spina Bifida from the time JD was a newborn.
Carolyn spoke about how, like many parents, they initially hoped for a “perfect” child. Through their journey, however, they came to realize that JD was not simply a child with Spina Bifida—he was part of what made their family perfect as they are.
The second story was shared by Mrs. Vanessa and her daughter, Alexa de las Alas. Vanessa spoke about the challenges of caring for a child with Spina Bifida, particularly during the teenage years, and the responsibilities of managing her daughter's continuing needs.
She shared the realities of providing for surgeries, therapies, medicines, and preparations for Alexa's future medical needs.
Their stories brought a deeply personal dimension to the forum. They reminded participants that behind discussions on prevention and public health policy are real people and families whose lives can be profoundly affected by neural tube defects. The stories highlighted the physical, emotional, financial, and family challenges associated with Spina Bifida, while reinforcing the importance of prevention and stronger public health action.
Building a National Strategy
The forum continued with a stakeholder dialogue entitled “Building a National Strategy for Mandatory Folic Acid Fortification.”
The dialogue brought together representatives from different sectors:
Dr. Micheal Caampued, President of the Philippine Society of Public Health Physicians (PSPHP), representing the public health and health-systems perspective;
Dr. Maria Victoria D. Pinion, Division Chief of the Product Research and Standards Development Division of the Center for Food Regulation and Research, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), representing the regulatory perspective;
Mr. Hendel Cabral, Executive Director of the Philippine Association of Flour Millers (PAFMIL), representing the industry perspective;
Dr. Joseph Carl Macalintal, Representative from the Philippine Obstetrical and Gynecological Society (POGS), representing the maternal health and clinical perspective;
Atty. Maria Jesusa Eleanor Magbanua, President of the Spina Bifida Support Group Foundation, Inc., representing the family and lived-experience perspective; and
Mr. Rufus Thomas Adducul, National President of Volunteer Youth Leaders for Health (VYLH), representing the youth advocacy perspective.
The discussion explored the different roles of stakeholders in moving mandatory folic acid fortification forward, including health-system requirements, regulatory considerations, industry implementation, healthcare engagement, family perspectives, and youth advocacy.
The dialogue emphasized that successful implementation would require collaboration, continued dialogue, and coordination among different sectors.
An open forum followed, giving participants an opportunity to raise questions concerning the practical, regulatory, health, and implementation aspects of mandatory folic acid fortification. The discussion reinforced the importance of maintaining an open dialogue and continuing the conversation beyond the forum.
A National Declaration of Support
A significant moment of the forum was the Ceremonial Signing of the National Declaration of Support for Mandatory Folic Acid Fortification of Wheat Flour.
Participants and organizations supporting the advocacy were invited to sign the Declaration as an expression of their support for strengthening the prevention of neural tube defects through mandatory folic acid fortification.
The signing provided an opportunity for stakeholders to demonstrate their support for collective action and continued collaboration toward advancing the policy.
For SBSGF, the signing was also an invitation to continue the conversation.
The organization expressed its openness to facilitating further meetings and discussions with interested stakeholders to address questions, explore possible solutions, and continue dialogue on mandatory folic acid fortification.
Following the signing, speakers, panelists, participants, partners, and stakeholders gathered for a group photo—a visual representation of the different sectors coming together around a shared interest in advancing mandatory folic acid fortification in the Philippines.
The Work Continues
The forum concluded with lunch, fellowship, and networking, providing participants and stakeholders an opportunity to strengthen connections and continue informal discussions around the advocacy.
But the forum was not an endpoint.
The discussions identified several areas for continued action: engaging relevant government agencies and stakeholders, maintaining discussions with industry on practical implementation considerations, strengthening engagement with healthcare and public health professionals, continuing family and youth participation, and facilitating further stakeholder meetings to address questions and concerns.
The forum also highlighted several shared takeaways:
prevention is an important component of addressing neural tube defects;
mandatory folic acid fortification requires a multisectoral approach;
different sectors have complementary roles in policy development, regulation, implementation, healthcare, advocacy, and public engagement;
and the lived experiences of families provide an important human perspective on the impact of neural tube defects.
For the Spina Bifida Support Group Foundation, Inc., the advocacy for folic acid fortification is rooted in both prevention and support.
Prevention offers an opportunity to reduce the risk of neural tube defects, while continued support remains essential for children, youth, adults, and families already living with Spina Bifida.
The National Forum brought these two commitments into one conversation—
working toward prevention for future generations
while continuing to stand with families and individuals living with Spina Bifida today.
As stakeholders continue the work beyond the forum, the message remains simple:
Pagtulungan lang natin.
Together, the work continues toward a stronger national effort for the prevention of neural tube defects and toward a healthier beginning for future generations.
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