BAGUIO CITY – There shall be an on-the-spot marketing and cooking contest by a mother or father and child pair on Monday morning ,July 3, to jumpstart the 38th nutrition month celebration during the flag raising ceremony at the city hall grounds.

Conceptualized by personnel of the Health Services Office, Baguio City Nutrition Council (BCNC), the activity together with the launching of the HSO vertical ramp and hanging garden, jibes with the theme: "Pagkain ng Gulay Ugaliin, Araw-araw Itong Ihain."

Schools are also expected to hold their own activities, as with the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC), Under-five clinic (UFC) with nutrition counseling and lectures on healthy lifestyle.

As it has always done to celebrate the occasion, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Baguio-Baguio shall monitor iodized salt disposal at the city market, disseminate information about and promote fortified foods such as veggie noodles, and extend support to the activities of the National Nutrition Council (NNC).

The barangays shall also have their own activities: vegetable contests; pinakamalaki,

pinakamabigat, pinakamahaba, pinakamaiksi, pinakamasustansiya; organic fertilizer-making; mass nutrition feeding; cooking contests; multi-vitamins and gift-giving; backyard gardening; tree-planting.

Some activities center on babies and mothers: healthiest; bright child, bibong bata, pinoy

henyo, healthiest and talented mother and child, search for little mr. and miss nutrition, and breastfeeding contest. Other activities are: slogan and poster-making contest, singing and dance, poem, jingle contests, seeds and seedling distribution.

Aside from government line agencies and barangays, other non-government organizations and even the senior citizens group are active participants in the celebration from July 1 to 31, and even beyond said dates.

During the opening program this Monday, however, the Baguio City Police Office shares the occasion with the turn-over of the key to a service vehicle to Police Sr. Superintendent David Lacdan. Mayor Mauricio Domogan shall give his inspirational message, while Councilor Joel Alangsab gives meaning to the nutrition month theme, while Outstanding Nutrition Scholar Monica Sicat leads the Pambansang Awit. Health Services Office head Dr. Florence Reyes shall lead the prayer for the whole activity.

Barangays with activities for the first week of July are Mass nutrition feeding at Aurora and Engineers Hill district, Upper QM, Palma-Urbano; Cleanest and Greenest contest, Gulayan sa Bakuran, pot gardening, clean-up drive at Trancoville on July 2-6, West Quirino Hill on July 4 and 7, and Lourdes Proper on July 3; distribution of seeds/seedlings at East Qurinio Hill on July 1; Distribution of educational materials, health and nutrition seminar, dengue awareness at Asin road on July 4.

For the second week activities, household entries for organic vegetables planted in recycled materials shall be judged on July 9, while the second nutrition summit shall be done on the 14th at the Pines View Hotel.

Mass nutrition feeding for Sto. Rosario shall be on July 13, at Upper Quezon Hill on July 9; distribution of multi-vitamins/gift-giving on July 9-13 at Dominican Hill; cleanest and greenest purok contest, clean-up drive and gulayan sa bakuran contest on July 7 and 14 at West Qurino Hill, on July 10 to 145 at San Antonio, Leonila Hill, Ambiong, Brookspoint, Greenwater, Cabinet Hill, Upper General Luna; Healthiest baby contest on July 10 at Leonila Hill, Ambiong, East Modernsite, San Antonio, Greenwater, and Cabinet Hill.

The most improved underweight contest shall be at San Antonio on July 10; singing, dance and poem contests at the same venue on July 15; Information Dissemination at Bakakeng Central on July 11; at Santo Rosario on July 13; at City Camp Central on July 14.

On July 11, Guisad Central shall have feeding, cooking and healthy baby contest for Campo Filipino, Quezon Hill, Pinsao and Irisan; and July 12, Engineer's hill will have vegetable, breastfeeding, iodized salt monitoring and distribution for Aurora Hill and Engineer's Hill.

Other activities are being finalized for the next dates.

The culminating activity shall be on August e at the BGHMC Cobalt Hall, as the usual venue, the Baguio Convention Center is under renovation. -juliegfianza