The Iloilo City Government, led by Mayor Jerry Treñas, and public interest law group ImagineLaw sat down on Wednesday to discuss the development of a healthy public food procurement policy that will make healthy and nutritious food more accessible to Iloilo City residents.
The policy that can come in the form of an ordinance or executive order will ensure that all food served by public institutions, such as city government offices, departments, hospitals, and development centers, within the City, follows a set of nutrition standards. Similar measure is currently being adopted in Quezon City.
“No public funds should be spent on unhealthy food,” said Jeline Corpuz, a registered nutritionist-dietitian and a project manager from ImagineLaw. “We are happy that the City Government is committed to improving the overall health and nutrition of families in Iloilo City,” she added.
Aside from public offices, the healthy public food procurement policy will also cover city-led activities such as meetings, trainings, conferences, and public events. It will also promote local sourcing of healthy food and ingredients from local farmers and food suppliers.
“We are committed to creating a healthier food environment in our city. With this collaboration [with ImagineLaw], we hope to make nutritious food more easily accessible to all members of our community,” said Mayor Treñas in a social media post.
