City, DOST to ink salt iodization project agreement

The city council passed resolution no. 543, series of 2023, authorizing Mayor Benjamin Magalong, representing the city government, to enter into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Department of Science and Technology-Cordillera Administrative Region (DOST-CAR) for implementation of the project ‘S&T Intervention for the Establishment of the Salt Iodization Plant in LGU-Baguio City’.

A letter of the Mayor requesting authority to enter into the mentioned agreement was considered by the local legislature.

The approved measure disclosed that P484,772.50 worth of funding was approved under the DOST-CAR 2023 Local Grants-in-Aid to be downloaded to the city government for the salt iodization plant project.

The DOST’s Industrial Technology Development Institute has engineered a revolutionary salt iodizing machine to facilitate the iodization process for small-scale processors in the Summer Capital, empowering them to contribute to health and nutrition programs.

Republic Act 8172 or an ‘An Act for Salt Iodization Nationwide (ASIN)’, plays a vital role in combating micronutrient malnutrition in the country and recognizes the pressing need to take proactive measures.

“This legislation underscores the importance of iodine fortification in salt, a fundamental staple in the diets of humans and animals. CAR has been grappling with endemic iodine deficiency disorders, a situation that demands immediate attention and collaborative action,” the resolution stated.

The city council, through an amended resolution, allowed the use of the ground floor/first floor of the City Health Services Office Annex Building for the Salt Iodization Project of the Baguio City Nutrition Multi-Purpose Cooperative that started in 1996.

The MOA shall be submitted to the local legislature for confirmation.- Gaby B. Keith