The Bacolod City Council approved on first reading a proposed ordinance establishing the healthiest public school award in the city.
Authored by Councilor Em Ang, it stated that to heighten the city’s campaign against malnutrition and to ensure that all students are provided only nutritious food in school, there is a need for Bacolod City to establish an award for the healthiest public school canteen.
Ang said that Section 15, Article II of the 1987 Philippine Constitution states that the state shall protect and promote the rights to health of the people and instill health consciousness among them.
She said that Department of Education Order No. 8 series of 2007 outlines the implementing guidelines on the operation and management of school canteens in public elementary and high schools to ensure that the school canteens are providing healthy food and help eliminate malnutrition among students.
“Despite the passage of the said department order, it has been observed that most of the public school canteens in Bacolod City are still selling junk food and unhealthy food to students,” she added.
Section 2 of the proposed ordinance stated that the awards committee is hereby created for the implementation and monitoring of the said ordinance and shall be composed of the Chairman - City Mayor; Vice-Chairman - Chairman, City Council Committee on Health; and its members the City Health Officer, DepEd-Bacolod Superintendent, City Planning and Development Office Head, and Urban Basic Services Division.
Ang said the awarding day will be on the last Monday of July when the National Nutrition Month is being celebrated.
Section 6 of the proposed ordinance stated that the City Government shall appropriate an annual budget of P200,000 to be taken from the General Fund.
