Siquijor, Siquijor - With the celebration of Goiter Awareness Week this last week of January, the Provincial Nutrition Committee of Siquijor considers it as a great opportunity to raise awareness and educate the people of this mystic island on the significance of using iodized salt in the prevention of goiter and other Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD). Anchored on this year’s theme “Leeg Kapain, Goiter Sugpuin: Isip ay Patalinuhin, Iodized Salt ay Gamitin”, they highlighted the importance of iodine in the mental development of the child, especially in the First 1000 Days and bolster the implementation of the Republic Act No. 8172 “An Act Promoting Salt Iodization Nationwide or the ASIN Law in the province.
RA No. 8172 was signed into law by former President Fidel V. Ramos in 1995, which “aims to promote the use of iodized salt to address the lack of micronutrients in the country. It also requires all salt manufacturers to iodize the salts they produce and distribute.”
Salt iodization is the country’s countermeasure to address and ultimately eradicate IDD among the most vulnerable groups of the community: women and children.
Siquijor is a small island province situated in the central region of the Visayan group of islands and is composed of 6 municipalities namely Enrique Villanueva; Larena; Lazi; Maria; San Juan and Siquijor. The province of Siquijor is blessed with natural aquatic resources, but iodine in marine goods of this island province does not meet the desired amount to respond to the nutritional requirement mainly because its soil is mostly composed of limestone. Siquijodnons’ main source of iodine is the commercially available iodized salt coming from the nearby province of Negros Oriental. The local government of Siquijor pushes for the full implementation of the ASIN Law by ensuring that salt coming to the province is adequately iodized and the people will demand quality salt and protect their rights to have an ample supply of dietary source of iodine. // ND II Mary Grace E. Adolfo, RND
Source:
(https://www.ign.org/philippines-challenges-to-salt-iodization-20-years-after-asin-law, 2023).
