Koronadal City - Iodine is a fascinating mineral with distinct role in our environment and especially in health. Its presence in the food that we take will greatly contribute to the normal functioning of the thyroid gland as well as for the production of thyroid hormones. Having an adequate intake of iodine will prevent existence of physical and intellectual disability called cretinism and with the alarming increased of Iodine Deficiency Disorder cases in the Philippines, the Local Monitoring of ASIN teams was organized and was called then Regional Bantay Asin Task Force.
On January 22-23, 2015 at Bayview Park Hotel, Manila, the National Conference of Regional Bantay Asin Task Force was conducted. The conference was organized mainly to generate relevant and appropriate salt iodization initiatives adopted in the regions and experiences learned that will be useful in some other Regions and also to benchmark inputs for a stronger linkages and connection of the National and Local initiatives. The conference was attended by various participants coming from the different agencies and industries such as representatives from the Salt Industries, Members of Regional Bantay Asin Task Force and NSIP-TWG, National Nutrition Council, Department of Health, Food and Drug Administration and UNICEF.
Mayors from the different participating municipalities shared their best practices and prompted everyone to pursue and continue the promotion as well as the implementation of the program to their respective areas. LMMAP President, Mayor Annabelle C. Tangson of San Luis, Aurora ended her presentation with a convincing quote, “ Now is the chance to change”, stressing out the need to transform Philippines’ Health status by carrying out the program to the grassroots level. On the other hand, salt testing demonstration was done using the WYD Iodine checker and as per result very few of the collected salt samples from the different regions in the country passed the salt testing. Hence, there is a need to intensify the ASIN Law and to secure the entry of salts in the country.
Realizing the needs to strengthen and to implement Republic Act 8172 or the ASIN Law as well as to eradicate occurrence of Iodine Deficiency Disorder in the Region, the National Nutrition Council XII in coordination with the DOH-FDA XII will make a move for the reinforcement and reorganization/reactivation of the Regional Bantay Asin Task Force.
