Los Baños nutrition project draws interest from Pasig

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna — A delegation from Barangay San Antonio in Pasig City visited Los Baños on Thursday, 8 October, to study the municipality's NutriBaños fortified bread initiative as a potential model for improving community nutrition and creating livelihood opportunities.

The benchmarking visit brought together members of the Barangay San Antonio Nutrition Committee and Los Baños municipal officials to discuss the implementation of the locally developed nutrition program.

According to the Los Baños municipal government, the delegation toured the Municipal Bakery and Operations Center, where participants observed bread preparation and learned about the production processes behind the NutriBaños initiative.

The visiting delegation was led by Barangay Chairman Thomas Raymond Lising, together with Nutrition Officer II and Barangay Nutrition Action Officer Christian Jay Vasquez, Health and Nutrition Committee Co-Chairperson Rachel Marie Rustia-Olarte, and Pasig City Nutrition Action Officer Jenily Capalaran.

They were welcomed by local officials representing Mayor Neil Andrew Nocon, including Muriel Laisa Dizon, Municipal Administrator Virgilio Tiongson Jr., Municipal Nutrition Action Officer Madeleine Alforja, and Operations Center Head Milbert Aguas.

Barangay San Antonio is developing its own Nutri-Bakery Project, which aims to produce affordable, nutritious bread while providing additional livelihood opportunities for residents.

The proposed project is aligned with the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition 2023–2028 and the First 1,000 Days program, which emphasizes adequate nutrition during pregnancy and early childhood.

The Pasig delegation hopes to adapt practices from the Los Baños initiative, particularly in involving Technical Education and Skills Development Authority-trained bakers and National Certificate II graduates in community-based food production.

The Los Baños municipal government described the visit as an opportunity to share local practices in nutrition and livelihood development with other communities.

The benchmarking activity highlights the potential of locally developed nutrition initiatives to serve as models for other local government units seeking to improve access to nutritious food while supporting community livelihoods.