Quezon City school bags nestle nutrition award

MANILA, Philippines - Placido Del Mundo Elementary School in Quezon City recently won the top prize for its nutrition program aimed at providing proper nutrition and nutrition education to the school’s teachers, pupils, and parents. The award was given during the Laki Sa Gatas’ “Best Nutrition Program 2010 Awards” ceremony at the Nestlé Center in Rockwell, Makati City, on August 17. The “Best Nutrition Program 2010 is part of the “Laki Sa Gatas” nutrition education advocacy campaign’s sustaining phase.

The Laki sa Gatas program was launched in 2006 and has since grown to become a multipronged advocacy in close coordination with the Department of Education and local governments, Laki sa Gatas engages teachers, parents, and students in various activities that emphasize the importance of proper nutrition.

The Best Nutrition Program was brought about by the need to enjoin public schools to develop their own nutrition programs specific to the needs of the pupils of the school and the community. This is to help address the nutritional issues affecting the children.

Placido Del Mundo Elementary School bested 10 other schools for its integrated nutrition education program. The school’s pupil development program was aimed at the school’s malnourished and undernourished pupils, with the intention of improving the knowledge, understanding, and learning about health and proper nutrition through the integration of nutrition and health lessons, educational field trips, film showing, and contests such as spelling bees, cooking contests, and poster and slogan-making competitions. As a result, the school experienced an increase in the achievement levels of pupils, as well as higher pupil participation in school activities.