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- Category: Region 10
23 March 2020, Cagayan de Oro City - City Mayor Sancho Fernando “Ando” Oaminal and the Asenso Ozamiz Team through the City Nutrition Office of Ozamiz City headed by City Nutrition Action Officer Lelita G. Navarez committed to provide nourishment for the uniformed and health personnel carrying out their tasks as COVID-19 frontliners.
Mayor Ando Oaminal issued Executive Order No. 2020-SFO-11 placing Ozamiz City under community quarantine from 18-31 March 2020 as an effort to protect the city against the threat of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Measures enumerated in the EO includes limiting of the movement of residents to avail essential needs, prohibition of entry via land, air and sea, regulated entry of goods and supplies, among others.
Through this effort, uniformed personnel, alongside health and quarantine officials are deployed to border points to ensure order in the implementation of the policy. Mayor Ando Oaminal is in full support of the uniformed personnel by providing them financial assistance and nourishment through the City Nutrition Office as they fulfill their duties around-the-clock.
CNAO Navarez, together with Nutrition Office staff, trustees and one staff from the City Police Office, have been feeding the frontliners daily since 20 March 2020. They utilize the kitchen in the City Police Station to prepare the foods from 4:00 AM to 7:00 PM, a total of 15 hours everyday. As team leader, CNAO Navarez is in-charge of meal planning, marketing and general supervision to ensure that foods being given to the frontliners adhere to the Pinggang Pinoy and the principles of nutrition (variety, moderation, balance) and to make sure that the overall operation is going well. Her team members, on the other hand, are in-charge in food preparation, cooking and kitchen clean-up.
“It is with great pleasure that the Nutrition Services Division is able to help our Mayor in his deep concern for the frontline workers. We are not just preparing meals, we are serving our police officers and health personnel with love and commitment. Thank you, Mayor Ando, for giving us the opportunity to serve.” CNAO Navarez said.
Her team of eight (8) is in-charge of feeding at least 120 police officers, Highway Patrol Groups, and health personnel (doctors and nurses) on duty for COVID-19. This effort is their share that they take wholeheartedly in ensuring that Ozamiz City is safe from the threats of COVID-19 by giving the frontliners adequate nutrition. (NO III Sheena Marie G. Talle)
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Amidst the rapidly evolving situation on corona virus disease or “COVID-19” and other infectious diseases that threaten our health, one of the best steps to take as precautionary measures is to boost our immune system.
According to Cambridge dictionary, immune system are the cells and tissues in the body that make it able to protect itself against infection. There are three lines of defense in our bodies: 1) The skin, which provides a physical barrier, and hair inside our nose that act as filters against air containing microbes, dust and pollutants; 2) second line of defense is innate immunity that destroys invaders. One of the example is macrophages that enter the body tissues to patrol for pathogens. Second, inflammation brings more white blood cells to the site where the microbes have invaded. Third, fever inhibits bacterial growth and increases the rate of tissue repair during an infection; 3) The third line of defense is specific resistance. This system relies on antigens which are specific substances found in foreign microbes. Most antigens are proteins that serve as the stimulus to produce an immune response, thus the allergic reactions.
Read more: Choose your Fighter: Eat your Vitamins and Minerals!
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Have you ever looked at your favorite food and felt sorry for yourself because you couldn’t have a single bite since you had oral problems? If your answer is “yes”, you probably need to take a break, need to read this article, learn how to have better oral health and contribute towards a healthier nation!
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines oral health as “a state of being free from chronic mouth and facial pain, oral and throat cancer, oral infection and sores, periodontal (gum) disease, tooth decay, tooth loss, and other diseases and disorders that limit an individual’s capacity in biting, chewing, smiling, speaking, and psychosocial well-being.” It is a key indicator of overall health, well-being, and quality of life. But it is also one of the most neglected aspect of an individual’s health.
Dental caries (tooth decay) and periodontal diseases (gum diseases) are the two most common oral health diseases affecting the Filipinos. In 2018, the initial results of the National Survey on Oral Health showed 72% of Filipinos having dental carries while 43% with gum diseases. Prevention of dental decay and basic oral care must be a priority in integrated health promotion programs and feeding strategies to enhance the well-being of Filipinos.
Read more: Oral Health Promotion: A Yes to a Healthier Nation
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A balanced diet is the foundation of leading a healthy lifestyle for both men and women. Throughout the life cycle, every child, adolescent or adult need the same kinds of nutrients, in with varying amounts. Women in particular have unique nutritional requirements. As people age and our bodies go through more physical and hormonal changes, so do our nutritional needs continue to evolve, making it important that our diet should meet these changing needs. Hormonal changes such as menstruation and child-bearing put women in higher risk of anemia due to blood loss. Decline of estrogen production leads to menopause and this is associated with increased abdominal fat and increased risk of cardiovascular disease and accelerated loss of bone mass.
According to the 2018 Expanded National Nutrition Survey (ENNS) by the Department of Science and Technology - Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI), there are 11.6% of non-pregnant and non-lactating women 15-49 years old are anemic, a problem of mild public health significance, since prevalence increased from 11.2% in 2013. Meanwhile, 2018 prevalence of anemia among pregnant women stands in 26.1%, and 14.4% for lactating women. This poses a moderate public health significance in the country.
Read more: Boosting Women's Nutrition: A Woman’s Way to Good Health
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Having just dashed from holiday parties and family feasts, we sure indulged to the bounteous foods and drinks since most of us cannot make it through a whole season of holiday without splurging a little. However, according to a study conducted by Dr. Shaista Malik, UCI Medical Center cardiologist, the spike of heart attacks was most prominent during those times of the year. It may not seem urgent until it hits close to you, but cardiovascular health is becoming an issue worldwide. Cardiovascular diseases or CVD refers to a class of ailments that affect the heart and the blood vessels connected to it. In the Philippines, Ischemic Heart Disease reached 84,120 or 14.5% of total deaths, which makes it as the leading cause of death in the Philippines. Second is cancer with 64,125 or 11.1%, followed by cerebrovascular diseases with 59,774 or 10.3%. This is according to the latest Philippine Statistics Authority data released in 2019. With these alarming statistics, a Heart Month is truly necessary to promote awareness, prevention and proper management and care of heart especially those with heart ailments.
That being the case, our government exerted its full effort to raise awareness to people regarding this serious health problem by declaring the month of February of every year as the “Philippine Heart Month” pursuant to Proclamation No. 1096, signed on 9 January 1973. Its purpose is to dedicate resources and focus attention on the pressing issues of cardiac health and medical research for the population.
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14 February 2020, Cagayan de Oro City – After the application and hiring process conducted early this year, the National Nutrition Council Regional Office X has two (2) newly-hired additional technical staff.
For 2020, one of the expansion areas of the Early Childhood Care and Development of the First 1000 Days (ECCD-F1K) is the Bukidnon Province. The program aims to promote good maternal nutrition and proper infant and young child feeding practices and the continuum of services in early childhood care and development (ECCD). This prompted the hiring of a Provincial Nutrition Coordinator for Bukidnon Province. Among 16 applicants, Ms. Stephanie C. Barrio, RND was selected. PNC Barrio is expected to coordinate, provide staff support, and implement F1K nutrition activities in the province.
On the other hand, a new technical staff in the person of Ms. Vazamija Therese A. Villasi, RND was hired as the new Nutrition Officer I. NO I Villasi is set to handle Nutrition Information and Education concerns, specifically the promote good nutrition activities such as the local media plan and the Nutrition Month campaign. NO I Villasi is also the new focal person for the regional BNS federation.
The two newly-hired staff were oriented on the background of NNC, the mandates and programs, and the Regional Office’s operations last 5 February 2020.
With the addition of new manpower, the total number of NNC X workforce now totals to 10, including the NPC, four (4) technical staff, three (3) support staff, utility, and a detailed Nutritionist-Dietitian from DOH Center for Health Development Northern Mindanao. (NOIII Sheena Marie G. Talle)
