City of San Fernando – The National Nutrition Council – Regional Office for Central Luzon (III)  in partnership with the Department of Health – Regional Office III (DOH – RO III) and United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) took the first initiative after a decade of silence in reorganizing the Regional Bantay ASIN Task Force (RBATF) as another milestone in the achievement of its aim to ensure the sustainability of the implementation of the ASIN Law and to guarantee the iodization of all salt being produced, sold or traded, and utilized in the region. The reorganization-forum held on May 28, 2014 at King’s Royale Hotel and Restaurant, Bacolor, Pampanga was attended by total of 20 agencies and 3 media partners.

Mr. Edward Otico, Associate Consultant of the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) represented UNICEF and acted as the lead facilitator. The need to understand the purpose of the forum was addressed by Mr. Otico who gave the overview of the forum which includes the background of the National Salt Iodization Program (NSIP) and the rationale on the reorganization of the RBATF in the promotion of the strict implementation of the provisions of the ASIN Law. The session was followed by Ms. Margarita Santos-Natividad, Nutritionist-Dietitian of the DOH – RO III presenting the Central Luzon’s facts and figures excerpted from the 2011 National Nutrition Survey by the Food and Nutrition Institute and the  importance of salt as the most cost-effective measure to prevent Iodine Deficiency Disorders in the population. She stressed on the physiological and physical implications of having inadequate iodine in the diet which can result to irreversible conditions like cretinism and mental retardation among the children.

The fight against Iodine Deficiency Disorder (IDD) is a multi-agency effort and thus Nutrition Program Coordinator Florinda V. Panlilio of NNC Region III  presented the crucial roles of each agency in the success of the promotion, implementation and monitoring of the National Salt Iodization Program (NSIP) and the Act to promote Salt Iodization Nationwide (ASIN) Law. As the co-facilitator, she challenged every agency present in the forum to be involved in the achievement of the “Universal Salt Iodization”.

Prior to the attendance to the forum, NNC RO III has already requested the participating agencies to identify their designated and alternate RBATF Focal Staff. As re-entry agreement, agency-members were enjoined to contribute their roles towards sustainable and effective strategies on the implementation of NSIP and ASIN Law. 

It was agreed by the participants during the mini write-shop that in order to strengthen the implementation of the law, there should be strict control and monitoring in the production of Iodized Salt to ensure that adequately iodized supplies will be available all establishments, markets and even in every household. The role of the Local Government Units in regulating compliance is seen as very crucial in the success of this endeavor. Whereas, all agency members recognized their role in advocacy and creating greater awareness with the Central Luzon Media Partners to lead in information dissemination and mass campaign about the promotion of iodized salt.

Challenging as it was, the agency members altogether recited and signed the Pledge of Commitment as an expression of their support to the various initiatives from capacity building to planning and performing including documentation of lessons and good practices.