07 April 2020, Cagayan de Oro City – The current battle with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) requires each person to be healthy, especially the uniformed and health personnel who serve as frontliners.

Aside from physical distancing and basic personal hygiene, strong immunity is necessary to combat possible contract of COVID-19 or any other infectious diseases. To strengthen and boost the immunity, it is a given to eat balanced meals with foods from the three food groups – go, grow and glow.

Local Government Units led by their respective Local Chief Executives provided the necessary and available equipment and assistance to support their frontliners and volunteers, which includes the provision of hot meals.

Further, NNC Nutrition Cluster Advisory #1 s. 2020 in its 7th message recommends LGUs to organized and/or establish LGU-accredited Community Kitchens supervised by trained and medically-cleared personnel and volunteers to help ensure sanitary preparation of nutritious meals for rationing only to priority households, medical institutions and other frontline workers. However, LGUs shall also ensure the sanitation and social distancing of workers while at the community kitchens.

In Region 10, Municipalities of Manolo Fortich, Maramag and Sumilao, Bukidnon and Cities of Ozamiz and Valencia adopted this good practice and mobilized their respective Nutrition Office staff to ensure that nutritious foods are provided in adherence to the Pinggang Pinoy and the principles of nutrition – variety, moderation, balance.

Manolo Fortich Municipal Nutrition Office headed by MNAO Christy Marie V. Alsado was tasked to take charge in the meal preparation for the 104 COVID-19 frontliners. MNAO Alsado prepared a 2-week cycle menu to efficiently manage food-buying cost and resources.

Meanwhile, in the Municipality of Maramag, Bukidnon the overall in-charge in the meal preparation for the frontliners is the Office of the Municipal Mayor, in the person of Atty. Euangeli Doromal, the Municipal Administrator. Approximately 180 frontliners were fed daily.

For the Municipality of Sumilao, Bukidnon, the LGU hired a caterer to prepare the foods of the 25 frontliners based on the 2-week cycle menu prepared by ND II Rikkie Marie Lucero of Department of Health, who is the Nutritionist-Dietitian deployed in the municipality. The Municipal Nutrition Office is in-charge of the distribution of packed meals.

The City Government of Valencia Nutrition Cluster utilized the City Central School Feeding Center as the Central Kitchen to prepare the meals for approximately 1,500 COVID-19 frontliners. The kitchen is operational 7-days a week, with three (3) shifts daily manned by 65 kitchen staff, composed of employees from Mayor’s Office, City Administrator’s Office, City Nutrition Office and volunteers. The overall in-charge in the central kitchen is the City Nutrition Committee Office headed by CNAO Hazel P. Dondonayos. The foods prepared were cost-efficient since they utilized the produce of their city community garden. Stakeholders also donated vegetables, fruits and rice.

City of Ozamiz in Misamis Occidental also established central kitchen in the City Police Station to provide nutritious meals for 120 uniformed and health personnel. Read about Ozamiz City’s initiative here.

Unity and camaraderie among the uniformed personnel, health and nutrition workers, government employees, volunteers and private individuals surface amidst the COVID-19 crisis.

In times like this, NNC strongly encourages everyone to stay healthy and fit by following the 10 Kumainments which promotes consumption of healthy foods, regular physical activity and pursuit of a healthy lifestyle despite being confined at home. Read here for more tips on how to strengthen the immune system through foods.

Keep safe and stay healthy Ka-Nutrisyon! (NO I Arlie Joy O. Damiles)