“I will eat healthier starting today!” – the participants all committed during the Regional Nutrition Month Launching in Café de Baco, Baco, Oriental Mindoro held last 04 July 2017. The Regional Launching is a kick-off activity conducted by the National Nutrition Council (NNC) MiMaRoPa to commence the 2017 Nutrition Month celebrations.
Guided with this year’s theme – “Healthy diet, gawing habit – FOR LIFE!”, the nutrition stakeholders of MiMaRoPa participated in the launching with the aim to promote consumption of healthier foods and discourage unhealthy diets specifically diets which are low in fruits and vegetables, high in sodium, high in trans fatty acids and saturated fats, and high in free sugars.
As an initial activity, the participants paraded around the Baco Municipal Compound to announce the activity and the start of the Nutrition Month. Hon. Mayor Reynaldo A. Marco of the Municipality of Baco welcomed the participants to the activity and signified his and the Municipal Nutrition Committee’s commitment and unwavering support to the nutrition programs being implemented in the municipality which are aimed at targeting the nutrition problems and challenges. Baco was chosen as the venue for the launching due to its consistent active performance in nutrition program implementation throughout the years.
Ms. Carina Z. Santiago, Officer-in-Charge of NNC MiMaRoPa, discussed the background and objectives of the Nutrition Month Celebrations led by the NNC. She also discussed the focus of the nutrition month theme, highlighting that a healthy diet should abide by three principles – balance, variety, and moderation.
Other activity in the launching includes provision of messages from key players in the field of nutrition in Baco and in the region such as Ms. Perla Supnet of the Department of Health MiMaRoPa; Dr. Anasario Lomio, Municipal Nutrition Action Officer of Baco; and Ms. Norine Dacula, Provincial Nutrition Action Officer of Oriental Mindoro. A Nutri-trivia was also conducted, which included questions derived from the 2017 Nutrition Month Talking Points.
As a culmination activity, the participants visited food establishments in the area such as school canteens, carinderias, and restaurants to determine if they are selling nutritious dishes in line with the nutrition month theme.
Nutrition advocates who participated in the event include members of the Regional Technical Working Group (RTWG) on Nutrition, Nutrition Action Officers’ Association of the Philippines (NAOPA) – MiMaRoPa, District/City Nutrition Program Coordinators’ Association of the Philippines (D/CNPCAP) – MiMaRoPa, Barangay Nutrition Scholars Federation in Region IV-B, PROMO Nutrition Communicators, Oriental Mindoro Provincial Nutrition Committee, and Baco Municipal Nutrition Committee.//jlbv
