26 March 2020, Cagayan de Oro City – The Regional Bantay Asin Task Force (RBATF) X, as the watchdog and the first line of defense in ensuring that only adequately iodized salt will reach the households in Northern Mindanao, plans to intensify the advocacy by crafting local promotional video and to maximize all networks and exhaust efforts in disseminating the video region-wide.
The result of the 2018 and 2019 salt monitoring in Northern Mindanao showed that out of 120 retail stores checked, 32 retail stores are still selling non-iodized salt or inadequately iodized salt with less than 15 parts per million (ppm). Further, the salt monitoring conducted last 8 November 2019 in Cagayan de Oro City showed that 11 out of 20 samples collected are inadequately iodized salt.
This prompted the RBATF to intensify promotion on the use of iodized salt. Thus, a proposal was made by the Promotion and Advocacy Technical Working Group (TWG) in late 2019 to produce a promotional video on iodized salt and its benefits, among others.
Proposed storyboard for the video was presented to the RBATF X during its 2020 First Semester Meeting held 12 March 2020 at The VIP Hotel, Cagayan de Oro City.
The body provided technical inputs on the storyboard to further improve its content. Once finalized, the storyboard contents are subject for approval by the DOH Center for Health Development-Northern Mindanao as RBATF X Chair and the FDA. PIA X committed to produce the video, hence, NNC X is fast tracking the finalization of the story board.
The objective of the video is to promote the consumption of iodized salt at the household level, the importance of iodized salt as well as to highlight the actions made by both the national and local governments. This is to give credit for their efforts in reinforcing Republic Act 8172 or An Act for Salt Iodization Nationwide (ASIN) Law.
Aside from the airing of the promotional video, RBATF members will distribute IEC materials during salt monitoring activities to advocate to the sellers and consumers alike the proper handling and storage of iodized salt so as to retain the iodine content in salts to adequate levels.
It was observed during salt monitoring activities that iodized salt were stored in open containers, exposing the product to air, heat or sunlight. Storage of iodized salt in this manner should be avoided since iodine content in salt diminishes when exposed. Moreover, vendors and/or suppliers re-pack the iodized salt or sell them as “takal-takal”.
Securing the adequacy of iodine content in salts sold in public markets and those used in households remains a challenge to the RBATF X and the Local Government Units (LGUs). NNC and RBAFT continually recommend and advocate to LGUs to strengthen their advocacy campaign and monitoring of compliance to Republic Act 8172 through organization of Local Bantay Asin Task Force. (NO I Arlie Joy O. Damiles)
