TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan, July 5 (PIA) - - To step-up the enforcement of the Act for Salt Iodization Nationwide (ASIN) law, the Regional Bantay ASIN Task Force (RBATF) will install two additional checkpoints in the region.

Ma. Gisela Lonzaga, OIC-nutrition program coordinator of the National Nutrition Council (NNC), said the an additional checkpoints will be positioned in Nagtipunan, Quirino and will reactivate the Kayapa, Nueva Vizcaya checkpoint area to ensure that only ionized salt shipments will enter Region 2 via Quirino-Baler road and Kayapa-Baguio road, respectively.

Lonzaga said there were already two ASIN checkpoints installed in Sta Fe, Nueva Vizcaya and in Sta Praxedes, Cagayan where members of the task force, composed of regional line agencies and some local government units, actively implement the provisions of the law to maintain and sustain the right iodine intake of the people in Region 2.

“Salt shipments which tested to have low (below 30ppm) or zero iodine content were sent back by the checkpoint operations to their origin,” she said, emphasizing the importance of having these checkpoints in various entry points to ensure all imported salts in the region are properly iodized.

Lonzaga said this measure is one way to combat iodine deficiency disorder (IDD) in the region which leads to reduction of intellectual and physical capacity, deaf, mutism and cretinism.

She urged the public to consume only iodized salts to ensure low prevalence of IDD regionwide. (ALM/OTB/PIA-2 Cagayan)