11/06/2026
๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ต๐ ๐ ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐, ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ: ๐๐ฎ๐ด๐๐ถ๐ผ ๐๐ถ๐๐ ๐ง๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐ ๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ ๐ฆ๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐น๐ถ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐, ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ต๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ฏ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ ๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฐ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐
The City Health Services Office (CHSO), led by City Health Officer Dr. Celia Flor Brillantes, through the Health Promotion Unit, conducted the second batch of Healthy Public Food Procurement (HPFP) Training on June 9 to 10, 2026 at Chalet Hotel Baguio.
The activity brought together food suppliers, caterers, restaurant operators, institutional food preparers, and government representatives to support the full implementation of Baguio City Ordinance No. 27, s. 2026, known as the Healthy Public Food Procurement Policy of Baguio City.
The training forms part of the cityโs continuing push to create healthier food environments in public institutions. It seeks to give food service providers and government partners the tools and the knowledge to match menus, offerings, and preparation practices to nutrition standards, while also promoting sustainable food systems and local sourcing.
In a message conveyed through Executive Assistant Renzo Umayao representing City Councilor Elmer Datuin, Chair of the Committee on Health and Sanitation, Ecology and Environmental Protection, he emphasized the major influence of food choices on public health. He said that food served in government meetings, programs and training are vital in shaping the health outcomes of the communities. Food choices for healthier, safer and more nutritious food options are available towards reducing the risk and burden of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases and obesity.
During the sessions, the ordinance was presented as a key policy ensuring that public funds support healthier, more nutritious food options in government settings. Anchored on the principle that no public funds should be spent on unhealthy food, the policy reinforces the cityโs commitment to raising nutrition standards across all government-funded activities.
CHSO Health Education and Promotion Officer Rommel De Guzman shared that Baguio City is among the early adopters of the policy nationwide. โBaguio City is one of the forefront local government units in the entire Philippines na nakapagpasa po ng Healthy Public Food Procurement Ordinance,โ De Guzman said.
He added that compliance is intended to be realistic and doable for food providers.
โWe can keep the original menus that we have. We can just tweak them a little bit for them to be able to comply with the nutritional standards and food specifications,โ he explained.
Throughout the training, facilitators emphasized the policyโs โ3 Aโsโ Availability, Accessibility, and Affordability as guideposts for making healthier choices that are also workable for public institutions.
Nutrition Division Head Lealyn Catiyan discussed proper food label reading and reminded participants to look closely at ingredient lists when selecting products.
โRule of thumb, ang pinakaunang ingredients is yun po yung may pinakamarami o pinakamabigat sa product na ito,โ she explained.
Nutritionist Dietician Perlyne Binaliw presented the nutritional standards of the ordinance, which contain important things to think about when making meals under, including the nutrition content, the ways food is cooked, and food classification.
Ms. Binaliw also emphasized how crucial it is to keep diets balanced and varied. โWalang iisang pagkain po ang nagbibigay ng lahat ng nutrition na kailangan ng katawan po natin. Kaya dapat iba-iba po yung kinakain po natin,โ she said.
On menu reformulation, Nutritionist Dietitian Monica Dummao demonstrated practical ways to improve recipes by cutting back on salt, sugar, and unhealthy fats without losing taste or affordability. She encouraged the use of common kitchen staple ingredients for natural flavoring. โSo pwedeng gamitin ang garlic, onion, ginger, black pepper, laurel, calamansi. Lahat po yan, instead of adding more salt,โ Dummao shared. She also urged participants to move toward whole foods and reduce reliance on processed products.
On local sourcing and sustainability, Senior Agriculturist Marcelina Tabelin of the City Veterinary and Agriculture Office (CVAO) spoke about strengthening local food systems while supporting farmers and local producers. She noted the cityโs limited agricultural space. โOut of the 57 kmยฒ land area po ng Baguio, only around 3 to 5 percent is used for urban agriculture,โ she said.
Tabelin also urged public institutions and national agencies based in the city to directly purchase ingredients from local suppliers in the best possible case. This way not only benefits farmers but also contributes to the development of a more sustainable local economy.
The training ended with a commitment signing among participating stakeholders, reflecting their continued support for implementing the Healthy Public Food Procurement Policy and Baguio Cityโs goal of creating healthier food environments for all.
๐๏ธ & ๐ท: Dianne Alyza Domis-ag
