BONTOC, Mountain Province – The winners in the 2024 Search for the Healthiest Places in the capital received certificates of recognition and cash prizes during the flag raising ceremony on July 16, at the Municipal Capitol.
Under the Barangay Category, Gonogon was adjudged as the winner with a rating of 79.5 percent. For the Elementary School Category, Balili ES came on top with a rating of 84.5 percent while Tocucan National High School ranked the highest with 77 percent under the High School Category.
The winners received P5,000 each.
The certificates and cash prizes were awarded by Vice Mayor Eusebio Kabluyen and Municipal Nutrition Action Officer Venous Faith Cofulan.
The cash prizes will be used for health-related projects, programs and activities in the respective areas.
The search initiated by the Municipal Nutrition Council (MNC) and the Municipal Health Office aims to encourage healthy environment consciousness and healthy lifestyle in the communities and schools.
On behalf of Mayor Jerome Tudlong, Jr., who is also the chairperson of the MNC, Cofulan lauded the winners and participating barangays and schools for their initiatives and concerted efforts in the implementation of their programs.
Criteria for the Search for Healthiest Elementary and Secondary Schools include presence of sanitary toilets, hand washing facility/ dental trough and adequate water supply; number of school personnel using sanitary toilet at home; number of teaching and non-teaching personnel who are smoking; implementation of wellness program; no junk food sold in the school campus and students’ snacks are monitored; well-maintained vegetation; students and school personnel practicing proper solid waste management; well-maintained drainage; absence of health hazards in the school and its premises;
Number of school personnel diagnosed with non-communicable diseases (NCD); decreasing prevalence of malnutrition; decrease in the number of malnourished students; regular activities being conducted to address malnutrition and NCDs; implementation of the anti-bullying policy; presence of health and nutrition action plan and accomplishment report; presence of organized and functional health scouts in the school with activities on health and nutrition; advocacy and/or capacity building activities to students related to health and nutrition; and best practices on nutrition.
Criteria for the Barangay Category include number of smoking personnel at the barangay hall; households with backyard garden, uma or rice field where they produce their own food; absence of health hazard in the barangay, health advocacies done by barangay to the community during meetings; households using sanitary toilets; clean pathways, roads and canals; absence of breeding sites for mosquitoes; households have access to potable and adequate drinking water; reforestation programs to include absence of forest or mountain fire; scheduled activities for clean-up drive; waste management;
Budgetary support for health promotion; monitoring and enforcement mechanism; presence of health or health-related policies initiated or adopted and implemented by the barangay; presence of annual nutrition action plan and accomplishment report; low incidence of NCD; decreasing prevalence of malnutrition in pre-school; activities initiated by the barangay staff to address health issues specifically malnutrition in children and adults; no violence against women and children; and best practices on health and nutrition. – Alpine K. Malwagay
