Food regulation, sale in schools up for hearing

A PROPOSED ordinance regulating the supply, sale and distribution of snack food and food products in public school premises in the city will be subjected to a public hearing on Nov. 7 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Multi-Purpose Hall, City Hall.

Proposed to be called the Baguio City Anti-Junk Food Ordinance, the measure provides for the creation of a monitoring board in each school or group of public schools composed of the City Health Services Office representative as chairperson with the school principal and representatives from the Dept. of Health Cordillera, Office of the City Social Welfare and Development, Parents-Teachers-Community Association, food service sector and the Barangay Council.

The board will be appointed by the mayor and will be tasked to formulate guidelines on the bringing in, sale and preparation of snack food and other food products intended for schoolchildren, students and school personnel.

Guidelines may include sanctions for violators that may be in the form of community service.

The board will designate volunteers or personnel to regularly monitor, conduct information campaign on proper diet and health and wellness and submit a report on the outcome of the monitoring.

The measure also provides that the CHSO come up with certified list of food considered as junk and health hazard which will be banned in school premises for the guidance of the school personnel.

As the lead office, it will also be tasked to establish a collaborative program with the DOH, Dept. of Interior and Local Government and the Department of Education and the OCSWD for the implementation of the ordinance.