Nestlé, NDAP honor students in 1st nutrition interschool tilt
NESTLÉ Phils., with its partnership with the Nutritionist-dietitians’ Association of the Philippines (NDAP), recently awarded winners of the first Nutrition Masterclass Interschool Competition. The contest challenged students to make nutrition topics more understandable and relatable for Filipinos through short and animated videos.
The team from University of Santo Tomas emerged as champion among the seven schools that participated. The group of Ciara May Dolfo, Trisha Ysabelle De Guzman, Rica Marrie Ganzon, Angelica Magullado and Czarina Rodriguez shot a video that highlighted the importance of eating breakfast, especially to keep kids energized throughout the day.
Students from Batangas State University were adjudged as first runners-up, also for their breakfast clip; while Colegio de San Juan de Letran took home the second runner-up prize for explaining fad diets, and what Filipinos need to know about them.
“The digital age has provided various platforms that help improve the way we educate Filipinos about proper nutrition. With this competition, our nutrition students were able to leverage [on online platforms like Youtube to disseminate key information that can help guide Filipinos… in making] better health choices,” explained Zenaida Velasco, president of NDAP. “We are grateful for the support of Nestlé Phils. in making this competition possible, as we share a common goal to [aid] the professional growth of registered and future nutritionists and dietitians.”
The Nutrition Masterclass Interschool Competition ran from September to November 2022, and was open to nutrition undergraduates from participating schools. Entries were judged by NDAP and Nestlé Phils. based on the accuracy of the information discussed, creativity and originality in presenting the topic, and its effectiveness in reaching its target audience.
Others that competed were Cebu Doctors University, Centro Escolar University, Manila Tytana Colleges, and University of the Philippines-los Baños.
Jose Uy III, senior vice president and head of Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability at Nestlé Phils. said: “As the Kasambuhay for Good of Filipinos, [we will continue to partner with organizations like NDAP in underscoring the importance of nutrition education which enable] children and their families to lead healthier and happier lives. We encourage and look forward to helping empower nutrition students [in leading the discussion about simple, yet key health topics like] eating breakfast, having balanced diets, and drinking enough water and milk.”
Aside from the Nutrition Masterclass Interschool Competition, Nestlé Phils. and NDAP have also launched the Nestlé Nutrition Masterclass web site that carries articles, journals and other locally-relevant resource materials for registered Filipino nutritionist-dietitians. They also jointly organize free webinars for NDAP members, and help create nutrition videos for the benefit of the general public.