CEBU
CITY, January 23 (PIA) -- To bolster the fight against iodine
deficiency disorder (IDD), the Regional Bantay Asin Task Force of Region VII
(RBATF 7) chaired by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and co-chaired by
the National Nutrition Council (NNC-7) recently conducted a meeting to push for
the manufacture, distribution and consumption of quality iodized salt
regionwide.
According to the 2011Updating Survey of the Food and Nutrition
Research Institute (FNRI), incidences of mild IDD were found affecting the
entire community region-wide particularly for pregnant and lactating women.
The same survey indicated the high iodized salt utilization
coverage among households in the region with 49.5 percent. Also, an average of
94.6 percent of the household salt tested positive to potassium iodate higher
than the national percentage of 80.1percent using the salt testing solution.
Despite the high iodized salt utilization coverage and presence of
potassium iodate in the salts tested, results of the updating survey revealed
that only about one-fourth of the supply of salt were adequately iodized
suggesting that the problem is on the availability of adequately iodized salt.
Iodine is an essential mineral in the body that plays a vital role
in health especially for a much healthier thyroid gland, metabolism, and brain.
Iodine is available from seafood and iodized salt but the latter is considered
the cheapest and best intervention for the prevention and control of IDD as it
is mostly used in cooking, and other food processing.
The RBATF 7 which continues to monitor the implementation of the
Republic Act 8172 or the ASIN Law which requires all salt for human and animal
consumption to be adequately iodized, urged salt manufacturers to ensure the
availability of adequately iodized salt to be distributed in the region.
The RBATF7 likewise, encouraged the general public to utilize
iodized salt with the approved seal to ensure that the manufacturers complied
with all the necessary requirements established by the government in the
production of the quality iodized salt. (rmn/fcr/ with NNC-7 PR Norre Jean
Delos Santos/PIA-7)
The initial project phase covered from the Cebu Provincial Capitol
to Fuente Osmeña Circle while Phase II will start anytime this year.
Verallo however said the power rate increase, which is yet to be
implemented, is very minimal at P0.001 per kilowatt hour.
But starting February, VECO will implement a power rate increase
of four centavos per kilowatt hour as mandated by the ERC under the
feed-in-tariff allowance (FIT-ALL) for renewable projects.
Verallo said all power utilities need to pass on the FIT-ALL to
electric consumers. The amount generated by the FIT-ALL will be given as
incentives by the government to renewable energy (RE) players for them to
invest in alternative energy sources like solar, wind, hydro and biomass.
Gonzales meanwhile, said all power utilities under the law are
required to utilize RE sources of about 10 percent.
The DOE-Visayas official further said Cebu has ample power supply
until 2016 with new investments on coal-fired power plants. (rmn/fcr/PIA-7)