CAR gov’t offices told to adopt Pinggang Pinoy

Government agencies, state universities and colleges, government-owned and controlled corporations, infrastructure and utility groups, and all government agencies in the Cordillera have been directed to adopt the suggested Pinggang Pinoy sets of menu during meetings, trainings, seminars, symposia, conferences, and other events.
In a regional memorandum circular issued Feb. 19, the Civil Service Commission-CAR also encouraged cafeterias, canteens, snack houses, and food kiosks managers to provide more choices of fruits, vegetables, and healthier food for employees and clients.
The CSC as well encouraged government agencies to conduct or integrate regular briefings on healthy lifestyle among their staff in appropriate avenues such as during meetings, employees’ general assemblies, or in-house trainings and seminars, convocations or after agency’s regular flag raising ceremony.
CSC-CAR Director Marilyn E. Taldo said the directive, in coordination with the National Nutrition-CAR, is in support of the government’s campaign to continuously increase awareness on the importance of healthy diets as protection against nutrition deficiency problems and non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, cardio-vascular diseases and certain types of cancers.
A copy of the “Pinggang Pinoy-based menu for Government Agencies and other Institutions” guidebook is attached to the memorandum.
The NNC-CAR through Director Rita D. Papey released the Pinggang Pinoy-based menu developed by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute to address the high prevalence of overweight and obesity among government employees as shown by the results of the 2017 Nutritional Assessment Survey conducted among regional line agencies in the Cordillera.
The survey showed that more than 54 percent of government employees in the regional agencies are either overweight or obese.
“As such, it (the CSC) supports the health advocacies and campaign of the government towards the promotion of good nutrition, health and wellness, and safety of state workers for a healthier bureaucracy,” the memo circular stated. – Hanna C. Lacsamana