Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte has presented the city government’s initiatives to promote healthy food in schools and communities during the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) China and the Chinese Government's Healthy Food City Forum held  in Chengdu, China last Sept. 14.

The city government said on Tuesday, Sept. 19, that the  symposium was attended by representatives from the health administrative departments in China, various city government officials in Asia, and community leaders around the world. 

Belmonte shared with them the reconstitution of the Quezon City Nutrition Committee, implementation of the Philippines' first Healthy Public Food Procurement Policy (HPFPP), enactment of the QC Healthy Diet in Schools initiative in accordance with City Ordinance 2846-2019 and Department of Education (DepEd) Order No. 13, and the establishment of vegetable farms in schools through Department of Education (DepEd) Memorandum 223.

“Prioritizing the health and nutrition of our citizens, especially our youth and school children, has led us to implement these evidence-based policies. These efforts are underpinned by political will to innovate and reshape norms, grounded in a solid evidence base, and carried out through transparent and inclusive policy-making," Belmonte said in her virtual presentation.

She added that the QC Nutrition Committee is a multi-sectoral body dedicated to addressing nutrition-related challenges and providing strategies for the creation of innovative and inclusive nutrition programs.

It is composed of different city departments, barangay offices, non-government offices, among other agencies to coordinate and manage the planning, implementation, and monitoring of the local government’s programs for nutrition.

The city government also said that the HPFPP aims to end the practice of spending public funds on unhealthy food.

It was implemented through Executive Order No. 16, signed by Belmonte in July 2021, that mandates departments, and institutions of the city government to ensure that all food and food supplies procured for its initiatives and meals distributed in city-run hospitals, institutions, and events are well-balanced, nutritious food like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and should comply with the “QC Nutrition Standards,” it added.

Meanwhile, the QC Healthy Diet in Schools initiative, launched through City Ordinance SP-2846, S.2019,  prohibits the sale and promotion of unhealthy food in learning institutions.

Under the ordinance, foods with trans fat and sugary drinks are prohibited inside and within the 100 meter perimeter of private and public schools in the city to ensure they will not be sold to preparatory, elementary and high school students.

Meanwhile, the establishment of vegetable farms, further, ensures schools have a steady supply of nutritious food.

This was implemented in 2016 under DepEd Memorandum 223, to address the malnutrition of students and promote vegetable production, establish school gardens, healthy food procurement, and support hunger mitigation initiatives of the  national government.

"We have received numerous commendations from the participants, who said that city governments in China should learn from Quezon City’s example. This is a testament that Quezon City's initiative towards a healthier and more sustainable city is on the right track,” Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability Department Head Andrea Villaroman said.