THE Davao City Health Office is encouraging Dabawenyos to strengthen food security by growing vegetables at home, reducing food waste, and practicing healthy eating habits as part of the observance of Nutrition Month, emphasizing that good nutrition requires the collective effort of families, schools, barangays, farmers, and other sectors.
Elizabeth B. Banzon, registered nurse and head of the City Health Office's Nutrition Division, said this year's Nutrition Month campaign highlights the importance of shared responsibility in ensuring that every household has access to safe and nutritious food while promoting sustainable practices in communities.
Banzon said the city is also encouraging households, schools, and barangays to establish vegetable gardens to improve food availability, especially during emergencies and natural disasters that may disrupt the food supply.
"Tema sa Nutrition Month is to promote collaborative responsibility for each and everyone's kay multi-sectoral man ni. We need each other; magtabangay ta aron naa tay food security. Gina-encourage nato ang households, mga gulayan sa barangay ug sa mga paaralan aron dili moabot ang panahon nga wala tay makaon (The theme of Nutrition Month promotes collaborative responsibility because this is a multi-sectoral effort. We need to help one another to achieve food security. We encourage households, barangays, and schools to establish vegetable gardens so there will always be food available)," Banzon said during the ISpeak Media Forum on July 2, 2026, at the City Mayor's Office (CMO).
She urged the public to plan meals carefully to avoid wasting food and to choose affordable but nutritious options while making use of available household materials for backyard gardening.
"Plan your meal — unsa kaha pamahaw nako karong adlawa – buntag, udto, hapon — para dili ma-waste ang atoang resources. Spend wisely sa cheap but nutritious food. Kanang mga sako, gallon, mineral water bottles, ug ligid pwede na gamiton nga tanoman pinaagi sa pagbutang ug yuta ug liso (Plan your meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner so resources will not be wasted. Spend wisely on affordable but nutritious food. Sacks, gallons, mineral water bottles, and old tires can be reused as planting containers by filling them with soil and seeds)," she said.
Banzon also encouraged mothers, particularly pregnant and breastfeeding women, to prioritize exclusive breastfeeding during a child's first 1,000 days, describing breast milk as the best source of nutrition for infants from birth to 6 months.
She said the city is working to reactivate nutrition committees in all 182 barangays to strengthen nutrition programs, prevent malnutrition, and help barangays develop their own nutrition action plans.
Banzon added that senior citizens are also being encouraged to participate in gardening activities to support healthy aging and local food production.
She reminded the public to follow the country's 10 nutrition guidelines, which include eating a variety of nutritious foods, consuming vegetables and fruits daily, choosing protein-rich foods, drinking safe water, using iodized salt, limiting salty, fatty, and sugary foods, and staying physically active.
"Good nutrition leads to good health," Banzon said, urging Dabawenyos to work together in building healthier families and more food-secure communities. HANNAH MICAELLA ALBINO /SPAMAST, SUNSTAR DAVAO INTERN
