AS THE 2019 novel coronavirus continues to spread outside mainland China, a Cebu City lawmaker has proposed an ordinance that promotes healthy lifestyle to the residents of the city’s 80 barangays.
During the regular session on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020, City Councilor Alvin Dizon filed a measure titled, “Cebu City Wellness and Healthy Lifestyle Program Ordinance,” which was later endorsed to the committee on laws for review.
Dizon’s legislation, if approved, would promote health programs at the community level; the City would be obliged to appropriate P5 million for the implementation.
The health programs mentioned in the proposed ordinance include smoking cessation, weight-loss education, healthy cooking, community cleanup and gardening, sports fest and psychosocial therapy.
The other programs are fitness challenges like community-based fun run, zumba and aerobics, and monitoring of chronic diseases and non-communicable diseases, such as heart and kidney ailments.
Dizon’s proposed ordinance also states that barangays must engage in backyard food production, community sanitation and hygiene, and feeding the residents with nutritious food.
The barangays, the legislation says, must conduct a bi-annual wellness day, during which the residents can avail themselves of free medical services, eye checkup, and nutrition education and counseling, among others.
Tasks
If the City Council approves Dizon’s measure, it would be implemented by the City Health Office (CHO),barangay captains, barangay health committees, barangay nutrition scholars and barangay health workers (BHWs).
Each office has its specific tasks. The CHO, aside from being the principal implementing office, must coordinate with the barangays through the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC), Department of Social Welfare and Services (DSWS), nutrition scholars and BHWs.
The barangay officials are tasked to prepare and formulate the “comprehensive and participatory wellness and healthy lifestyle program” in collaboration with the CHO and other offices involved in the wellness program.
The youth, women, senior citizens, persons with disabilities and the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender community must also be represented at the barangay level.
Barangay health committees’ tasks include networking and coordinating with the academe and other private sectors involved in wellness advocacies.
Distributing information about proper nutrition and conducting nutrition services are the responsibilities of the nutrition scholars.
Dizon’s proposed ordinance encourages barangay councils to pass resolution that would enjoin business establishments to participate in the wellness program. (JJL)