BAGUIO CITY – The City Council approved on first reading a proposed ordinance making it a policy of the local government to require the submission to the Local Civil Registry of a certification from the City Nutrition Action Officer certifying the presence of household garden of go, grow and glow using bio-intensive gardening systems prior to the registration of certificates of live birth and marriage license in support to the city nutrition program.
The ordinance authored by Councilor Leandro B. Yangot, Jr. stated applicants for registration with the Local Civil Registrar of certificates of live birth and marriage licenses will be required to secure a certification from the City Nutrition Action Officer certifying the presence of household garden of go, grow and glow using bio-intensive gardening system in their homes prior to the registration of the said documents.
The ordinance tasked the City Nutrition Office and the Local Civil Registry Office to formulate the implementing rules and regulations of the measure within 30 days after its enactment into law.
Section 15, Article 2 of the 1987 Constitution provides that the State shall protect and promote the right to health of the people and instil health consciousness among them and in keeping with the said mandate, the National Nutrition Council (NCC), an agency of the government under the Department of Health (DOH), was created with the main objective of creating a conducive policy environment for national and local nutrition planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and surveillance using state-of-the-art technology and approaches.
Towards this end, local government units through their respective Sanggunians are mandated to enact local laws that ensure and strengthen the implementation of programs, projects and activities geared towards the attainment of the mission, vision and goals of the NNC particularly the aim to improve the nutritional status of Filipinos by reducing the prevalence of protein-energy malnutrition and to prevent, control and eliminate micro-nutrient deficiencies.
The ordinance stipulated that bio-intensive gardening system is a system of growing as much organic food as possible in the smallest amount of space and in an urban setting like Baguio City, urban gardens in every household using bio-intensive gardening system is greatly encouraged since urban gardens definitely provide additional source of fresh and safe food and extra income for urban residents.
Further, when calamities strike like the July 16, 1990 killer earthquake where all roads leading to the city were all closed, backyard gardens in every household is of great advantage
The ordinance stipulated the measure is geared towards inculcating to all residents the importance of a backyard garden and that would-be couples who are about to start a family must be required to maintain the said practice and shall be reminded when they register their new born babies and to ensure compliance, a certification from the City Nutrition Action Office of the presence of a backyard garden using bio-intensive gardening system is needed.
By Dexter A. See