TACLOBAN CITY -- A motorcade at 8:00 o’ clock in the morning set off this year’s regional launching of 44th Nutrition Month celebration carrying the theme “Ugaliing magtanim, Sapat na nutrisyon aanihin!” Around 40 vehicles from participating government agencies and stake holders, each flying the nutrition month theme convoyed starting from the Leyte Provincial Capitol grounds passing along main thoroughfare Rizal Avenue, going north through Anibong-Naganaga-Nulatula Road up to Maharlika Highway where it ended at Granja de Reyna in Bagacay Village, this city, where the program and celebration activities unfolded on July 3, 2013.
The occasion was made festive with the government and private nutrition stake holders collectively chipping-in for the success of the event with the Samaritan’s Purse providing the balloons; the ADRA, World Vision, Plan International and NNC the T-shirts; Rotary Club of Kandaya bottled water; the UNICEF and NNC folding umbrellas; and the Cabalawan Elementary School the intermission numbers.
The half-day event was spearheaded by Dr. Catalino P. Dotollo Jr., Regional Nutrition Program coordinator of National Nutrition Council (NNC) Region VIII, Dr. Milagrosa Salvacion Bolito, head Family Health Unit of Department of Health (DOH) Region VIII, Merlinda D. Tuazon, Science Research Specialist II, Department of Agriculture (DA) Region VIII, Aileen Quimbo, Tacloban City Agriculture Office, who later all composed the panel during the press conference, that ended the program. Pinky Brosas, Tacloban City Mayor executive assistant, also graced the occasion to give the Welcome Message.
The program staged lectures and inspirational messages giving light to the rationale of nutrition month theme: Tuazon said the theme encourages making food production a family activity through development of food gardens; Quimbo, Tacloban City Agriculture Office, lectured on Urban Gardening; Engr. Martina Reyna, proprietor of La Granja de Reyna, a family enterprise that boasts of Organic Gardening, the “Best of La Granja de Reyna,” in a power-point tour around the venue; and Dotollo--a slant to Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture underscoring, “Growing your own food is like printing your own money!” that could be derived from savings from not buying food, selling extra produce, value-adding produce, with a return of investment of 1 is to 8.
The month-long celebration activities also featured competitions on nutrition particularly promoting gardening: a Katsa Painting for Junior High School students in this city; a Photo Contest depicting modern backyard garden, open to all interested to join; a nutrition month Jingle, likewise open to all; a Siday/Balak for Nutrition Action Officers, District and City Nutrition Program Coordinators, Regional Technical Working Group members, and other Technical Working Groups; and Best Gulayan sa Paaralan for DepEd schools in Leyte Division. Nutrition Month is celebrated every July of the year, and the law mandates the NNC to lead the nationwide coordination of the campaign. The Nutrition Month theme is selected to highlight the important and timely concern on nutrition.
