BACOLOD City – The Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) here has approved in the third and final reading the proposed ordinance “Karinderya para sa healthy Pilipinas” during Wednesday’s regular session.
The local measure establishes the local karinderya as a designated community kitchen for the implementation of nutrition counseling and education, dietary supplementation, food service delivery during disaster relief operations, and other related initiatives in the community.
Under the ordinance, a Local Nutrition Committee shall be created, which shall be composed of the local chief executive as committee chairperson, Nutrition Action Officer as deputy committee chairperson, SP committee on health chairperson, Health Officer, Agricultural Officer, Social Welfare and Development Officer, Budget Officer, and a representative from the Barangay Nutrition Scholars.
Councilor Claudio Jesus Puentevella said the ordinance particularly targets children under five years old and nutritionally at-risk pregnant and undernourished lactating women.
The SP health committee chairperson and author of the ordinance added that it will also mobilize and institutionalize engagement with the local karinderya as a site and as partners.
Bacolod shall adopt a participatory approach to the overall implementation of the “Karinderya para sa healthy Pilipinas” Project by also engaging barangay-level nutrition patrollers in the promotion, preparation, delivery, monitoring, and follow-up activities, Puentevella said.
He added that it would also be a setting-based approach, where efforts include changes in local food environments, specifically in the availability, affordability, and accessibility of healthy food options in the community./PN
