22 February 2022 – The National Nutrition Council Region III as the secretariat for the Central Luzon Regional Bantay Asin Task Force or CL-RBATF visited the Municipality of Baliwag, Bulacan to conduct a salt testing and monitoring activity as part of its role of regulation and monitoring of iodized salt in the region. The Municipal Nutrition Committee (MNC) of Baliwag, through the issuance of the “Ordinance No. 12 Series of 2018, An Ordinance Amending Section 2,3, and 4, Updating and Reorganizing Section 1-8 Including The Addition of New Sections of Ordinance No. 4, Series of 2001, entitled An Ordinance Promoting Salt Iodization Program in the Municipality of Baliwag in Pursuance of Republic Act 8172,” has proved its active role in the implementation of the Republic Act No. 8172 or ASIN Law, through the leadership and guidance of Mayor  Ferdinand V. Estrella as the Chair of the MNC, and Ms. Brenda B. Balaga, as the Municipal Nutrition Action Officer (MNAO).

Ms. Ana Maria B. Rosaldo, Regional Nutrition Program Coordinator, and Antonette Gail D. Garcia, Nutrition Officer I of NNC-Region III visited Barangay Poblacion where the Pamilihang Bayan or the public market was located and they were accompanied by MNAO Balaga and the Lingkod Lingap sa Nayon (LLN) or the Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNS) of Baliwag, Bulacan. Salt samples were collected from various sources such as: 1) supermarkets and groceries; 2) public market and sari-sari stores; and 3) randomly-selected households. A total of 20 different salt samples were collected from five (5) households; four (4) sari-sari stores; one (1) from public market; and 10 samples from three (3) different grocery stores.

Salt samples collected were tested using an iodine checker. Findings showed that 9 out of 20 or 45% of the samples collected passed the acceptable range for iodine which is 35-70 parts per million (ppm) iodine per 1 gram of salt sample (household – 1, sari-sari store – 1, grocery store – 7), while the rest, 11 out of 20 or 55% did not meet the acceptable range for iodine. The salt testing team also noted that salt samples that were in the acceptable iodine levels were all branded and labeled as “iodized.” Although it has also been observed that not all the salt samples labeled as “iodized” had acceptable iodine levels. Full results can be found in the table below:

Ms. Rosaldo and Ms. Garcia also met with Mayor Estrella to express their gratitude to his continuous support, not only to the salt monitoring activities, but to all the nutrition programs implemented in the Municipality of Baliwag. Ms. Rosaldo also presented a Pinggay Pinoy plate and nutrition IEC materials as tokens of gratitude to Mayor Estrella. Advocacy information materials such as flyers on Bye Bye Bansot sa Barangay, Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition, 2017-2022, Regional Plan of Action for Nutrition, 2018-2022 and First 1,000 Days and a book on The Ascent of Local Governments in Nutrition in the Philippines – A Compendium of Actions on Nutrition were also given to Mayor Estrella as reference in further strengthening the implementation of nutrition and nutrition-related programs in the municipality through the adoption of  good practices of other local government units.

Results of the salt testing and monitoring activity held will be reported during the  Second Quarter meeting of the RBATF on 19 April 2022.

Author: Antonette Gail D. Garcia, Nutrition Officer I