BONTOC, Mountain Province – The winners in the 2022 Search for the Healthiest Places in the capital were announced during the regular Monday Flag Raising at the Bontoc Municipal Capitol on June 6, 2022.
The search initiated by the Bontoc Local Government Unit through the Municipal Nutrition Council (MNC) aims to encourage healthy environment consciousness and healthy lifestyle in the communities and schools.
There are three categories are Barangay Category, Elementary School Category and Secondary School Category.
The winners in the barangays and schools categories received P5, 000 cash prize each and Certificates of Recognition. Bontoc Mayor Franklin Odsey who also chairs the Municipal Nutrition Council (MNC) and Municipal Health Officer Dr. Diga Kay Gomez turned over the cash prizes and Certificates of Recognition to the winners. The cash prizes shall be used for health- related projects, programs and activities in the respective areas.
In the Barangay Category, Barangay Tocucan headed by Punong Barangay Wilbert Padngaran was adjudged as the winner while barangays Samoki headed by Punong Barangay Joseph Toyokan and Poblacion headed by Punong Barangay Glenn Saavedra, Sr., came in second and third, respectively.
For the Elementary School Category, Guina-ang Elementary School (ES) led by School Head Estefania Ana-ao was proclaimed the winner. Mainit ES came in 2nd place and Mountain Province SPED Center headed by School Head Mario Kolnog landed in 3rd place.
Guina-ang National High School (NHS) under the leadership of School Head Grail Ayngan is the winner in the Secondary School Category. Talubin NHS under Portia Baniswal-Ngollob grabbed the 2nd place while the Mountain Province General Comprehensive High School (MPGCHS) headed by School Head Atkinson Tudlong came in 3rd place.
Mayor Odsey lauded the winners and participating barangays and schools for their initiatives and concerted efforts in the implementation of their respective programs, particularly those related to the criteria for said search.
Municipal Nutrition Action Officer Venous Faith Cofulan said that the criteria for the Search for Healthiest Elementary and Secondary Schools include presence of sanitary toilets, hand washing facility/ dental trough and adequate water supply; number of school personnel using sanitary toilet at home; number of teaching and non-teaching personnel who are smoking; implementation of Wellness Program; No Junk food sold in the school campus and students’ snacks are monitored; well-maintained vegetation; students and school personnel practicing proper solid waste management; well-maintained drainage; absence of health hazards in the school and its premises; number of school personnel diagnosed with NCDs; decreasing prevalence of malnutrition; decrease in the number of malnourished students; regular activities being conducted to address malnutrition and NCDs; implementation of the Anti-Bullying Policy; presence of Health and Nutrition Action Plan and Accomplishment Report; presence of organized and functional health scouts in the school with activities on health and nutrition; advocacy and/or capacity building activities to students related to health and nutrition ; and Best Practices on Nutrition.
Meanwhile, the criteria for the Barangay Category include number of smoking personnel at the barangay hall; households with backyard garden, uma or ricefield where they produce their own food; absence of health hazard in the barangay, health advocacies done by barangay to the community during meetings; households using sanitary toilets; clean pathways, roads and canals; absence of breeding sites for mosquitos; households have access to potable and adequate drinking water; reforestation programs to include absence of forest or mountain fire; scheduled activities for clean-up drive; waste management; budgetary support for health promotion; monitoring and enforcement mechanism; presence of health or health-related policies initiated or adopted and implemented by the barangay; presence of Annual Nutrition Action Plan 2021 and Accomplishment Report 2020; low incidence of non-communicable diseases; decreasing prevalence of malnutrition in pre-school; activities initiated by the barangay staff to address health issues specifically malnutrition in children and adults; no violence against women and children; Best Practices on Health and Nutrition.
She added that the 2022 Search for the Healthiest Places is part of the line-up activities of the Bontoc LGU through the MNC in celebration of the Nutrition Month this year. Nutrition Month is celebrated every July per Presidential Decree 491.
Cofulan added that regular activities and programs are being conducted by the Bontoc LGU for the said celebration such as Search for Healthiest Mother and Baby; Search for the Best Performing Barangay Nutrition Council, and Nutri Song Contest. The activities are funded under the Nutrition Program Fund of the Municipal Health Office.