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Provincial and municipal nutritionists of Bataan conduct "Nutrition Seminar" to teach parents how to prepare healthy meals for their children. 


Sherrie Ann Torres

ABS-CBN News

MANILA (UPDATE 2) — It is 7 in the morning and the more than 5,000 students of Bataan National High School (BNHS) performed what has become their daily routine – gather together on school grounds, sing the national anthem and the provincial hymn, recite the country’s patriotic oath, and finally, dance.All these activities, according to BNHS Principal Alma Poblete, are now part of their regular school program to ensure that their students will not only improve intellectually, but would also get enough sunlight, exercise, and energy that will help them become healthier and more active.Teacher Jonathan Baldeo, head of BNHS’ MAPEH department, said the program was designed by their “Health Promotions Board in School Settings” with the aim to gradually change the lifestyle of the youth in the province into a more active and healthier one.The program, which includes activities on how to plant and cook nutritious food like vegetables, is now also part of their school curriculum, he said.“Biinubuo po ito ng lahat ng ahensya, lahat ng departamento na may kinalaman po sa kalusugan. Mula sa medical, dental, nutrition, feeding program and curriculum. So, dito po nagkakaroon tayo ng contextualized curriculum. Ipinapasok po sa ating mga health subject-related young mga dapat pong malaman ng mga bata tungkol po sa health,” Nayre said.All students including those in Special Education (SPED) are covered, Nayre said.“Dito po, hindi itinuturo kung ano lang ang makukuha niyang sustansya kundi kung ano yung mula sa pagtatanim. Sabi nga po hindi dito yung matututunan lang kung ano yung kinain ng bata kung hindi mula sa pagtatanim, paano pagpe-prepare. So, mula po sa pagtatanim, pagpe-prepare, sagot po yan ng ating TLE-agriculture,” Nayre said.<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="ABS-CBN News" class="fr-fic fr-dib" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/life/12/01/20231201-nutrition-seminar-via-abs-cbn-news-5.jpg"/><figcaption>Students of Bataan National High School (BNHS) are only allowed to eat healthy food in school. Sherrie Ann Torres, ABS-CBN News</figcaption></figure></div>“So ita-transfer po ito sa ating TLE-mga cooking, kung paano po sya pina-process. Kasama po dyan ang science, kung papano po sya makakatulong. Then iko-connect po yan sa MAPEH which is sa health, para magbigay po ng inittives. So ibig sabihin ang Health Promotions Board po is collaboration po ng lahat ng subject na may kinalaman sa health,” he added.In Peas Elementary School in Limay, Bataan, grade schoolers’ Physical Education subject includes learning native sports like arnis and playing Filipino games like patintero and sha-tong.Aside from feeding their grade 1 pupils with a hot meal composed of vegetables, meat and fruits, their parents also undergo a mandatory “Nutrition Seminar” courtesy of their provincial nutritionists.“Grace,” mother of a Grade 1 student in Peas Elementary School, admitted to have discovered a lot while attending the seminar.“Dapat po pala healthy yung kinakain ng bata hangga’t bata para nade-develop ng maganda yung utak nya, yung pangangatawanan nya ganun... (dapat palang iwasan) yung mga mabe-vetsin, yung mga processed food. Mas maganda po pala yung kunwari, yung mga pancake na ginagawa sa bahay,” Grace said.In Bataan, elementary and high schools like the Mabatang Elementary School in Abucay now have their respective versions of “Gulayan sa Paaralan.”<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="ABS-CBN News" class="fr-fic fr-dib" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/life/12/01/20231201-nutrition-seminar-via-abs-cbn-news-6.jpg"/><figcaption>Students of Mabatang Elementary School in Abucay, Bataan who help tender their school garden. Sherrie Ann Torres, ABS-CBN News</figcaption></figure></div>Here, volunteer students help their school gardener take care of their planted vegetables.School principal Rosalie Sarmiento also showed the small fish pond inside the school compound which they harvest and cook along with their vegetables, and feed to their grade 1 pupils.The project, according to their local chief executive, aims to lead children back to nutritious diet.“Marami po sa pamilya natin ang nawawalan ng hilig o gana sa pagkain ng gulay. Kaya naisipan po ng mahal natin ang mahal na gobernador ay para ma-prolong ang buhay ng ating mamamayan ay gulay ang solusyon. Sabi nga, kumain ng gulay ng humaba ang buhay,” Abucay Mayor Ruben Tagle said.<div>BATAAN’S ‘Bataan Healthy School Setting ’ </div>Having unhealthy children who will soon become the next set of leaders in the country is one situation which Bataan Governor Joet Garcia is determined to thwart, at least in their province.In 2019 he started his administration’s Bataan Healthy School Setting .”“Ito pong initiative namin para sa kalusugan ng mga taga-Bataan, nagsimula talaga nung nakita naming na 7 out of 10 causes of mortality are lifestyle diseases, national as well as of course including our province. So, since 7 out 10 causes of premature death are non-communicable diseases or what we call as lifestyle diseases, nakita namin kinakailangang magkaroon ng intervention. And ang maganda nga pag lifestyle-related disease, malaking factor yung lifestyle,” Garcia explained.<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="ABS-CBN News" class="fr-fic fr-dib" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/life/12/01/20231201-nutrition-seminar-via-abs-cbn-news-7_1.jpg"/><figcaption>Mabatang Elementary School&#x27;s &quot;Sport&#x27;s Library.&quot; Sherrie Ann Torres, ABS-CBN News</figcaption></figure></div>“So, kung mababago natin yung lifestyle, then may chance na mabawasan yung nagkakasakit, lalong-lalo na yung premature death. So, maie-extend natin yung mga life expectancy ng mga Bataeño,” he further explained.The Bataan provincial government has already piloted its “Gulayan sa Paraalan” project in 10 municipalities and villages.<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="ABS-CBN News" class="fr-fic fr-dib" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/life/12/01/20231201-nutrition-seminar-via-abs-cbn-news-8.jpg"/><figcaption>Mabatang Elementary School&#x27;s &quot;Gulayan sa Paaralan.&quot; Sherrie Ann Torres, ABS-CBN News</figcaption></figure></div>Here, students - with the help of their school gardener and teachers – are being trained how to plant and nurture vegetables and fruits, not only in school, but also in their own backyard.Harvests from “Gulayan sa Paaralan” will then be cooked by community volunteers and fed to their kindergarten and Grade 1 students. Any excess produce meantime, are sold to the market for additional school budget.In Peas Elementary School in Limay for example, parents are also being taught by the provincial and municipal nutritionists on how to prepare nutritious food for their children.Aside from food security and proper preparation education, the provincial government also ensures that their students will be physically active, and are being required to do local sports like arnis and other games like “luksong tinik, patintero, harangan-taga” in school.Schools here also have their so-called “Sports Library,” where students can borrow sports gadgets like basketball, badminton set, and the likes.The importance of planting vegetables and engaging in sports are now also included in their school curriculum according to Garcia.“Eto yung mga basic life skills and kinakailangan nga na bukod sa matalino tayo, magaling ang maga-aral natin sa math, sa science, yung survival skills, kailangang-kailangan alam natin. So etong pagtatanim, etong paghahanda, preparation ng food, maiintindihan nila kung ano ang dahilan, kung bakit dapat kinakain ito, kung ano ang sakit na pwedeng maiwasan,” Garcia said.“So lahat yun dapat part of the learning, our children get from our schools. At walang makakatalo sa experiential learning. Kung sila mismo yung nagtanim, gaano kahirap magtanim, gaano kahirap maglinis pagkatapos kumain ng kanilang mga classmates, kung sila mismo ang natututo at naa-appreciate nila ang ganoong mga bagay. Sigurado ia-apply din nila sa buhay yun,” he added.Garcia said these health-related programs are in line with the Universal Health Care Law which also promotes healthy living.“So we made DepEd, our teachers, stakeholders, accountable for this provision, kasi batas na ito eh na dapat pinapatupad talaga... Sa school dapat at least 150 minutes may exercise yung mga bata. So, naghahanap sila (school officials) ngayon kung saan dapat isingit since punung-puno rin naman ng academic subjects. So sa umaga, in between subjects, gumagawa sila ng paraan para meron pa ring physical activity. And then intervention to help prevent vices among the youth,” Garcia said.The province of Bataan is also highly-discouraging smoking, and only allows several establishments to sell cigarettes and smoking is only allowed at home.Anti-smoking officials are actively roaming around the province and fine those who will be caught smoking in public space, Garcia said.Vaping is part of the ban, he said.Students meantime, are required to take the oath carrying a vow to “never smoke in their entire lives,” the official said.“Dahil it is the key for them to understand first... ang sigarilyo, ngayon ang vape, ang isa sa mga dahilan kung bakit namamatay, nagkakasakit, ang ating mga kababayan. So gusto nating ma-cut yung vicious cycle na ang mga bata hindi pa nagsisigarilyo supposed-to-be. And then pag naging adult maniigarilyo. Then magkakasakit, mamamatay ng maaga. We want to cut vicious cycle, huwag nang manigarilyo.. including siyempre yung sobrang pag-inom etcetera,” Garcia said.The Bataan Healthy School Setting , which was inspired by a Netflix documentary entitled “Live to 100,” is the province’s attempt to increase Bataeños’ average life expectancy up to 80 years old, the governor said.Garcia admitted they cannot set a target year to achieve such goal.But what’s important is for someone to start such goal and aim to advance the health needs of the people of Bataan, and they must start it with the children, he said.“So mga grade 1 ngayon, ilang taon bago maging adults? And once they become adults, sila ngayon ang babatntayan natin kung sila nga ba ay from 70 umabot ng 80 ba, naging 85. So medyo matagal, matagal talaga yung effect,” Garcia said.“So hopefully, pati yung mga adults namin ngayon, not necessarily Grade 1, even yung mga college students, even yung mga nagta-trabaho na, may mga pamilya dahil nga nakikita nila itong intensified campaign, mag-benefit din from these types of health promotions program. And sana ma-extend din yung buhay, ma-extend yung quality of life nila,” he said.Garcia is hopeful that other local government units will follow suit with their Bataan Healthy School Setting , given the fact that the life span of Filipinos today, is getting shorter.His dream, he said, is to see Filipinos living at an average age of 80 just like the Japanese.“Remember, even if learned, nakapag-aral ang ating mga anak, ang mga Pilipino kahit maganda ang trabaho, kung at an early age magkakasakit sila, kung sila ang breadwinner, apektado na. kaagad yung pamilya. So, kapag nawala si breadwinner, mabigat yung learning curve, mabigat yung adjustment para mahabol yung income na nagi-generate dati through the breadwinner,” Garcia said.“Pag hindi makapagtapos, and hindi rin sila magkakaroon ng magandang opportunities. So, kaya tingin namin susi talaga yung kalusugan. Let’s make sure that we have a healthy population, so they can be productive, they can help the government, they can help our country improve and be more progressive in the coming years,” he added.Meantime, ImagineLaw, an advocacy group campaigning to reduce children’s exposure to unhealthy foods, urged lawmakers to come up with appropriate measures that will promote the consumption of healthy food for the sake of the country’s future generation.“We should be working to avoid that (proliferation of unhealthy food for children), we should be building a future where Filipino children can grow up and fulfill their aspirations, and you know, build a better Philippines for everyone,” said Natasha Daphne Marcelo, Imagine Law’s Project Manager for Regulation of Unhealthy Food Marketing.Meantime, legislators from both houses of Congress have also filed various forms of measures with the hope of addressing the serious worsening health status of children.In the Senate, among the measures awaiting legislative actions include:<ul><li>Philippine Nutrition Labeling Act of 2023 (Sen. Cynthia Villar)</li><li>Health Rating Label Act (Sen. Raffy Tulfo)</li><li>Instructional Gardens and Urban Agriculture Act (Sen. Grace Poe)</li><li>Menu Labeling Act (Sen. Joel Villanueva)</li><li>Trans Fat Free Philippines Act (Sen. Risa Hontiveros)</li></ul>All these bills are still in the committee level and although not that “sexy” and intriguing, can really undoubtedly shape our country’s future.<div>Research reported in this publication was supported by a media fellowship from ImagineLaw, Inc.</div>

ImagineLaw has urged lawmakers to come up with measures that will promote the consumption of healthy food among Filipinos.

ImagineLaw has urged lawmakers to come up with measures that will promote the consumption of healthy food among Filipinos.

Bataan schools, villages push for healthy food, lifestyle for children

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Bataan schools, villages push for healthy food, lifestyle for children

Sherrie Ann Torres,

ABS-CBN News

Published Mar 21, 2024 07:01 PM PHT

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