12 March 2014 – A consultative meeting was held with the Honorable Governor Vilma Santos-Recto and the members of the Regional Bantay Asin Task Force (RBATF) at the Mansion, Batangas Provincial Capitol in Batangas City.

NNC-Calabarzon RNPC Carina Z. Santiago facilitated the meeting and gave Governor Recto a briefer on the mission of the RBATF, current status of the IDD, NSIP and Patak sa Asin Campaign at the national and regional level. She also discussed some of the consequences of iodine deficiency and reiterated that the use of adequately iodized salt is the cheapest and easiest way to fight the IDD. She then presented the results on the survey conducted by the FNRI-DOST in 2011 regarding awareness and utilization of iodized salt among provinces in the region which showed a low percentage including the province of Batangas.

Thus, in the coming months, the RBATF will partner with the Provincial Government of Batangas to do the re-launching of Patak sa Asin Campaign and to conduct an ASIN forum. Main reasons of prioritizing Batangas province includes: being the point of entry of salt coming from Mindoro; having the major salt producers of the country namely Arvin International Marketing, Inc.  (Calaca), Artemis (Balayong, Bauan) and Salinas (Manghinao, Bauan); and lastly having a supportive LCE who can even become one of the Champions of iodized salt in Calabarzon.

Honorable Governor Recto courageously took on the challenge but earnestly asked for the support of the national and the regional TF. She also said to meet first with the various salt traders and producers before the launching and to iron things out with the Provincial Health and Nutrition Office regarding the Organization of the Provincial Bantay Asin Task Force (PBATF).

The said organization of the PBATF will be held on May 2014 at the Pontefino, Batangas City and will be followed by the re-launching of the Patak sa Asin Campaign during an ASIN Forum.