BONTOC, Mountain Province – Bontoc received a Certificate of Commendation and a token from the National Nutrition Council as one of the 2020 Regional Nutrition Awardees.
On behalf of Mayor Franklin C. Odsey who also chairs the Municipal Nutrition Council (MNC), Municipal Nutrition Action Officer Venous Faith Cofulan of the Municipal Health Office received the award during the Virtual 2020 Regional Nutrition Awarding Ceremony on October 20, 2020.
Bontoc is one of the only 25 Local Government Units (LGUs) in the Cordillera region with below 10% stunting prevalence in 2019. The other awardees in Mountain Province of LGUs with below 10% stunting prevalence in 2019 are the municipalities of Natonin and Tadian
Cofulan explained that the award is based on the effectiveness and efficiency in the implementation of the nutrition programs of the Bontoc LGU through the MNC. For this year, it focuses on the result of the Operation Timbang (OPT) Plus conducted on children ages 0-59 months in the 16 barangays of Bontoc in 2019.
She added that among the nutrition programs conducted by the Bontoc LGU are the regular OPT and OPT validation, Search for the Healthiest Mother and Baby, and the Chagsen Challenge (Search for Biggest Loser). The Chagsen Challenge is a newly conceptualized lifestyle program of the Bontoc Municipal Government which aimed to promote health and wellness among the employees of the municipal government and the public. The program is for the public to lose unwanted and unnecessary weight through natural means of proper food intake and regular exercise. The activity was proposed by Sangguniang Bayan member Jerome Tudlong, Jr. who chairs the Committee on Health and Sanitation in collaboration with the Municipal Health Office.
For year 2020, some of the programs of the Bontoc LGU relative to nutrition are the regular conduct of OPT Plus and OPT validation, Search for the Best Performing Barangay Nutrition Council, Search for the Healthiest Places covering barangays, and elementary and secondary schools, provision of vegetable seedlings to parents of malnourished children for their backyard gardening, provision of free – range chicks to 18 parents of malnourished children, and Chagsen Challenge –Team Edition.
The other lined-up activities for this year that were not implemented due to COVID-19 are Search for the Healthiest Mother and Baby, Search for Best Gulayan sa Paaralan (Elementary and Secondary Schools), Search for Healthiest Under-Five in Terms of Height, and Weekly Zumba. By Alpine L. Killa
