BONTOC, Mountain Province – The winners in the 2024 Search for the Healthiest Places in the capital received Certificates of Recognition and cash prizes during the Flag Raising Ceremony on July 16, 2024, at the Bontoc Municipal Capitol.
Under the Barangay Category, Gonogon was adjudged as the winner with a rating of 79.5%. For the Elementary School Category, Balili Elementary School came on top with a rating of 84.5% while Tocucan National High School ranked the highest with 77% under the High School Category.
The winners received PhP5,000 each as a cash prize. The certificates and cash prizes were handed over by Vice Mayor Eusebio Kabluyen and Municipal Nutrition Action Officer Venous Faith Cofulan to the winners. The cash prizes shall be used for health-related projects, programs and activities in the respective areas.
The search initiated by the municipal government through the Municipal Nutrition Council (MNC), with the Municipal Health Office taking the lead aims to encourage healthy environment consciousness and healthy lifestyle in the communities and schools.
On behalf of Bontoc Mayor Jerome “Chagsen” Tudlong, Jr., who is also the Chairperson of the MNC 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.
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 rice field 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 and Accomplishment Report; 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.
It was also indicated in the guidelines that a barangay or school that won first place for two consecutive years shall not join in the ensuing year to allow the other barangays and schools to win.
It is to be noted that members of the MNC have been going around the barangays and schools to conduct assessment, evaluation, and validation to ensure compliance of the participants to the set criteria.
She added that the Search for the Healthiest Places is part of the lined-up activities of the municipal government through the MNC in celebration of Nutrition Month this year. Nutrition Month is celebrated every July per Presidential Decree 491. By Alpine L. Killa-Malwagay
