The National Nutrition Council – NCR (NNC-NCR) encouraged the employees of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to eat healthy and become physically active during the Information Sharing Session (ISS) on Healthy Diet and Physical Activity in the Workplace held at the MMDA Arena on July 4, 2019. The ISS moderated by Nutrition Officer (NO) III Emerenciana L. Francia was attended by more than 60 MMDA employees.
In her message, NNC-NCR Regional Nutrition Program Coordinator (RNPC) Milagros Elisa V. Federizo emphasized the three (3) key messages of Nutrition Month: 1) Have at least one (1) hour of physical activity everyday; 2) Limit screen time to two (2) hours or less per day especially for children; and, 3) Ensure that the three (3) food groups Go, Grow and Glow are present per meal everyday.
“If we want to enjoy a long and productive life, we need to make sure that we are healthy. We need to eat right and become physically active in order to prevent the development of non-communicable diseases such as heart diseases, stroke, cancer and diabetes,” RNPC Federizo said.
“We as parents should ensure that our children grow healthy. Let us invest in our children. If we invest in them, we are investing in our future. Help us in the promotion of good nutrition. Lastly, we should start in ourselves. We should eat healthy and become active to maintain good health and age gracefully,” RNPC Federizo added.
NO I Mary Agnes Beatrice Menorca discussed the topic on healthy diet entitled, “Healthy diet, gawing habit!” while Professor Hercules Callanta of the University of the Philippines – Diliman discussed the importance of physical activity and how to do simple physical activities in the workplace.
Through the activity, participants learned how they can eat healthy at home and in the workplace. They also engaged in physical activities during the activity such as dancing and learned exercises that can be done in the workplaces even in limited spaces.
On behalf of MMDA Chairman Danilo Delapuz Lim, Traffic Operation Officer V General Alfredo Andres shared the different health and nutrition programs being done by their agency to support the health and wellness of their employees. These programs include regular Zumba dancercises, Anti-Smoking Program and the “Kusina ni Digong” wherein free healthy meals are given to ensure that workers have enough energy and nutrients to work productively.
General Andres reminded the participants, “In view of the message of the nutrition month, let us not forget to take care of ourselves. Eat healthy meals at the right time and be more physically active. Health is wealth and the true meaning of wealth…is health”. (TAR/NPC MEVF/NNC-NCR)
