BANAUE, Ifugao, Nov. 19 (PIA) - - Eight schools in the province are vying for the 2012 search for Best Nutritionally Friendly School (BNFS).

The search for BNFS is one of the local initiatives of the provincial government to ensure safe, nutritious snacks to pupils. It advocates for nutritious foods for Filipinos, and promotes the choice of selecting indigenous, native delicacies with high nutritive value aware on their importance as against junk foods.

Corazon Dawong, nutrition program coordinator, disclosed that eight schools had confirmed their intent to participate in said contest to encourage school management help provide supplemental feeding to identified very low nutritional status as part of the process of the canteen.

“Out of the said participants, five are for elementary category and three for central school category,” Dawong said.

Dr. Mary Josephine Dulawan, Provincial Nutrition Action Officer (PNAO), explained that members of the PNC technical working group (TWG) will be going to the different schools starting on Wednesday, November 21.

“This is a venue for providing IEC to schoolers and guiding them to maintain an ideal normal weight and become aware of the negative effects of being obese and overweight,” she added.

Dulawan disclosed that the criteria for the contest are : health and sanitation of the school - 40 percent, nutrition or content of the canteen - 30 percent, and school garden - 30 percent.(JDP/ MBL -PIA CAR, Ifugao)