The Valenzuela City local government, along with the National Nutrition Council (NNC), ImagineLaw and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), led the culminating activity for the 49th National Nutrition Month at the Valenzuela City Hall on Tuesday, Aug. 15. 

The city government successfully celebrated Nutrition Month with a children’s fair and awarding ceremony. 

The venue was filled with booths that provided nutritious food and drinks, and featured informational books and brochures about healthy living. 

A healthy diet promotion contest was conducted for participants aged seven to 18 years old.

They were encouraged to create promotional materials with an advocacy to develop healthy eating habits, to mobilize the public, and call for state and private actors to build a healthy food environment for children. 

It aims to raise awareness on the importance of a healthy food environment which fosters a healthy lifestyle for children. 

In the said event, a pledge of commitment was signed by Valenzuela City Mayor Weslie "Wes" Gatchalian and other city officials to support Ordinance No. 101-2023, authored by Councilor Louie Nolasco. The ordinance will help in building healthy eating habits for the youth.

According to Mayor Gatchalian, it may be challenging to implement the regulation within the ordinance, but it is also timely to work on. 

“We’ll promote healthy choices in schools, universities, food vendors, and commercial establishments. What’s important here is to regulate... It’s not only the unhealthy foods that we are battling with, but also what these marketing companies and Ad agencies feed to us. We are not against the company or the people who do their job or business,” he said.

“The problem lies in the powerful proliferation of these advertisements by big companies like fast food chains. So, with the help of the Ordinance No. 101-2023, we can counter these advertisements," he added. 

Mayor Gatchalian expressed his gratitude to the city council and the city’s partners for their initiative and willingness to counter risky advertisements.

The ImagineLaw executive director, lawyer Sophia San Luis, highlighted the daily struggles of the masses to have a healthy lifestyle. 

“Kaliwa’t kanan ang mga unhealthy food ngayon, kahit saan tayo pumunta, napakadaling bumili nito. Paano natin gagawing “viral” ang “healthy lifestyle” kung  ganito naman ka-accessible ang unhealthy food? (There are unhealthy foods everywhere we go, it’s so accessible nowadays, so how can we make this healthy lifestyle a “viral” one?),” she said. 

San Luis also stated that the efforts of the local government should be strengthened since the city holds the responsibility to safeguard the well-being of children.

“Gobyerno rin ang makasusugpo ng fake news na naghihikayat sa mga kabataang patuloy na kumain ng mga pagkaing maraming asin, asukal, at taba (It’s also the government who can battle fake news that encourage children to eat foods that contain a lot of salt, sugar, and fat),” she added. 

San Luis praised the Valenzuela City’s endeavor.

“Valenzuela City’s strong political will in protecting their children amazed us. In Valenzuela City, the deceitful and risky advertisements that urges children to eat unhealthy foods such as junk foods, which contain unknown chemicals, will no longer be allowed in the city,” she said. 

The activity ended with a storytelling session with Mayoress Tiffany Gatchalian and the children.