BACOLOD CITY — The Department of Health (DOH) in Western Visayas has pushed for the development of more food gardens as the country observes Nutrition Month this July.
The call was made by DOH-6 nutrition program coordinator Ma. Azucena Arroyo during the launching program for the school-based health services held at Rodolfo A. Medel Sr. Elementary School this city on Monday.
Azucena said this year’s campaign, themed “Ugaliing magtanim, sapat na nutrisyon aanihin,” seeks to improve nutrition through food access by increasing the number of households, schools, and communities engaged in food gardens.
With this, the DOH encourages the development of food gardens among families and in communities, schools, government offices and work places, she added.
According to the National Nutrition Council (NNC), food gardens refer to “an intimate multi-story combinations of various trees and crops, sometimes in association with domestic animals, around homesteads, and add that home garden cultivation is fully or partially committed for vegetables, fruits and herbs primarily for domestic consumption, and secondary for additional household income.”
Through the observance of the Nutrition Month, the DOH and the NNC aim to mobilize various stakeholders to provide a fostering environment for sustainable food gardens.
Focusing on food garden can prevent micronutrient deficiencies through food diversification, reduce food insecurity or food poverty, increase consumption of fruits and vegetables, and highlight the impact of food gardening to society.
In terms of food diversification, Arroyo cited the first of the “10 Kumainments” which urges Filipinos to eat a variety of foods every day.
“There is no single food that can provide the necessary nutrients that our body needs,” she said.
Arroyo added that various technologies can be used in developing food gardens.
“For technology service provider for home gardens, we can always connect with our City Agriculture Office with the support of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG),” she said.
Arroyo noted that since the DILG leads in the barangay planning, she hopes the agency will push for the inclusion of home food gardening in the Barangay Nutrition Action Plan. (Nanette Guadalquiver/PNA)
