24 CONFERENCES AND EVENTS Ludovice, Nicolo Paolo P. & Francisco Jayme Paolo Guiang. “‘More Calories, More Protein, More Progress’: The Nutribun and the Politics of Nostalgia of the Marcos Regime.” Philippine Studies: Historical & Ethnographic Viewpoints 73, no. 4 (2025): 481-512. Focus of Study This study examines the Nutribun, a ready-to-eat meal developed by a United States Agency for International Development program, which became tied to Ferdinand E. Marcos when his administration claimed credit for its nationwide distribution through feeding programs. His children later used nostalgia for the Nutribun to cast the Marcos years positively, aiding their political rise. This study reframes nostalgia politics by tracing the Nutribun’s changing political and emotional meanings. It shows how the bun functioned as a symbol for reimagining authoritarian rule as a time of prosperity and national pride, and how nostalgic health messages were used to de ect attention from present problems. The study links public health communication, nutrition policy, and political memory to show nostalgia’s role in shaping historical narratives. Policy Recommendations Nutrition programs must be designed with transparent institutional frameworks that prevent political capture and ensure accountability through independent monitoring bodies, while simultaneously addressing the structural determinants of malnutrition rather than relying on supplementary feeding alone. Moreover, public health communication strategies should incorporate critical historical literacy components that equip citizens to distinguish between evidence-based health interventions and nostalgic political narratives, thereby strengthening democratic engagement with health policy while countering the manipulation of collective memory for partisan ends.
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