Zamboaguita, Negros Oriental – The Municipal Nutrition Committee (MNC) of this 4th class municipality taps tourism sector for the nutrition program. This is one of the innovations done by the MNC to help promote tourism of the municipality to both domestic and international tourists and the nutrition of the municipality.
The start of the pandemic took its toll in all the mundane life of all the Zamboangnons. It brought adverse changes in both the tourism industry and a lot of locals have lost their jobs affecting the nutritional status of the children. The double edge sword of malnutrition: stunting and overweight among preschool children increases drastically.
The situation has caught the attention of Zamboanguita MNC. Maximizing the annual cooking contest where most of the populace are looking forward to during the Nutrition Month celebration, the MNC decided to tap food establishments and resort owners to participate in the said activity to help in the promotion of tourism. Six food establishment and resorts owners participated in the activity that promoted tourism industry and good nutrition. By using the readily available local products in the community, the participants were able to come-up with nutritious cuisine and additional recipes in their menus. This innovation also hopes to bring in opportunities to the local farmers of Zamboanguita, as the demand of local products increases with the influx of health-conscious tourists when borders start to open.
Through the event, food establishments and resort owners of Zamboanguita were able to form and organize an association to help one another. The Zamboanguita MNC is hopeful that thru this effort, they can entice more tourists, liven the tourism industry, provide job opportunities to locals and maximize the tourism sector for their nutrition sensitive interventions. // ND II Mary Grace E. Adolfo, RND
