SANTIAGO CITY, Isabela, July 3 (PIA) -- Some 500 participants attended the kick-off celebration of the 2019 Nutrition Month in the region spearheaded by the National Nutrition Council (NNC) in partnership with the City Government of Santiago held at the Bulwagan ng Mamamayan on Monday. Maria Gisela Lonzaga, nutrition program coordinator said, this year’s theme “Kumain nang Wasto at maging Aktibo, Push Natin ‘To” aims to encourage everyone to eat balanced diet and to exercise regularly to have a healthy life.
“Through this launching, we will be able to advocate healthy diet and physical activities for a healthy life. Our main goal is to decrease the risk of non-communicable diseases which is diabetes and hypertension,” Lonzaga said.
The launching started with a Grand Nutri-walk participated in by stakeholders and schoolchildren who are identified as “obese” and “overweight”.
“The schoolchildren-participants are obese and overweight because we want to emphasize that when we talk about malnourished, it is not only about being underweight,” Lonzaga added.
During the launching, participants were also engaged in physical activities such as Zumba, Zumbata and Laro ng Lahi.
Earlier, Lonzaga said children should be encouraged to engage more on physical activities such as playing Laro ng Lahi.
For his part, Dr. Genaro Manalo, Santiago City health officer and nutrition program action officer, said the city nutrition committee of LGU – Santiago City has been a partner of the NNC in its thrust to improving the nutritional status of the public particularly the children.
“In partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd) – Santiago City, the city nutrition committee is doing its share in ensuring the health of every Santiagueño,” Manalo said.
On the other hand, Lonzaga said different nutrition-related activities will be conducted region-wide to commence the month-long celebration.
On July 6, a Grand Zumba (Hataw ng Sayaw Pangkalusugan) will be conducted at the Cagayan Sports Complex in Tuguegarao City, in partnership with the City Government of Tuguegarao. A series of Zumba sessions will also be conducted at the same venue on July 13, 20 and 27, in partnership with the provincial government of Cagayan.
In its aim to advocate proper nutrition especially among schoolchildren in Tuao, Cagayan, the NNC will also conduct its one-of-a-kind nutri-kalesa painting contest on July 16-17 to be participated by high school students. Last year, the contest was also held in Tuao town.
The painted kalesa will be paraded within the town proper of Tuao to showcase the masterpieces of the students who participated in the contest.
Since its launching, a total of 160 kalesa were already painted with nutrition-related advocacy materials.
Also, a healthy lifestyle symposium will be conducted in two different venues, July 19 at People’s Gymnasium in Tuguegarao City and July 30 in Delfin Albano, Isabela.
The month-long celebration’s culmination activity will be held in Dupax del Norte on July 31, in partnership with the Department of Health Region 2. (MDCT/MGE/PIA 2 –Cagayan)
