“We are pleased to be recognized by the SEC in addressing ease of doing business in government transactions with our deployed system for online submission of documents. This was borne out of necessity during the height of the pandemic, to limit contact between people, but as we’ve seen, it has proved useful and relevant post-pandemic and has set the standard for facilitating online transactions between government and the private sector,” said ComClark Chief Operations Officer Benedicto Bulatao.

Specifically, ComClark, together with Fortis Technologies Corporation, provided a workflow-based online submission portal for corporations’ quarterly and yearly reportorial requirements to the SEC.

The online submission portal’s official name is the Company Investments and Financial Statistics System (CiFSS) of the the SEC that allows the uploading of files such as the General Information Sheets (GIS), General Form of Financial Statements (GFFS), and Special Form of Financial Statements (SFFS) files through a web interface.

The CiFSS forms a major component of the SEC’s digitalization agenda, geared towards introducing efficiency and transparency in the organization’s operations. Starting 2021, it has implemented the online submission tool to limit face-to-face contact between the agency and Philippine corporations amid the threat of the COVID-19 virus.

ComClark Network and Technology Corp. has been at the forefront of offering ICT solutions for industry-specific needs.

The post ComClark receives SEC award for ease-of-doing-business digital solution appeared first on North Luzon Monitor.

Hedcor, AboitizPower’s renewable energy asset manager, has operated the plant for more than 25 years as part of its portfolio of run-of-river hydro and solar power assets. With the IP communities’ consent, the company will continue to manage Bineng 3 and contribute to the community’s development for another 25 years.

The National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) played a crucial role in facilitating the process, as outlined in the 2012 Guidelines on Free and Prior Informed Consent. Moreover, the NCIP will guide the IP communities in formulating Community Royalty Development Plans and will monitor Hedcor’s commitments, ensuring the growth and sustainability of ancestral domains while improving the lives of Indigenous Peoples.

“With Hedcor’s dialogue-driven approach, we see an opportunity to develop our ancestral domain, which will empower us, the IPs, to improve our living conditions and preserve our cultural heritage and identity to pass on to the next generations,” said Marcelo Abela, La Trinidad’s first Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative (IPMR) and one of the elders in Barangay Alapang, La Trinidad, Benguet.

He emphasized that the existing partnership would achieve mutual environmental, economic, and cultural sustainability goals, illustrating how inclusivity and community engagement can create lasting impacts.

“For the Ibaloy, Kankanaey, and other IPs in the Cordillera, Hedcor’s project represents hope for a more sustainable and prosperous future in their ancestral lands,” Abela said.

Enhanced Livelihood and Social Services

In La Trinidad, Hedcor undertakes various community development projects—from medical and dental missions to livelihood assistance and education programs—all focused on improving the well-being of local residents.

Margarita Batokil, a local resident from Brgy. Bineng, recalled how Hedcor’s social services have improved their living conditions. “We have been benefiting from the partnership because it helps with our health services, dental missions, and provides free medicine. There are children who can now go to school, receive scholarships, and finish their education. Our livelihoods have improved, adding income for us, the host communities, and beneficiaries,” she said.

Another community member, Maria Sudaypan, noted the previous lack of work opportunities. “Before, it was difficult; there were no jobs. Now, with Hedcor’s help, we are receiving much-needed support. At first, we didn’t fully understand what could be offered, but after discussions and consultations between the community and them, we gradually began to see the benefits,” she said.

Sudaypan also shared that the partnership paved the way for their children to reach their full potential through scholarship grants and access to job opportunities.

Continued community development and ‘cleanergy’ generation

With this support from La Trinidad’s IP community, Hedcor is positioned to continue harnessing the power of run-of-river hydro and help the La Trinidad community in different development initiatives.

Hedcor President and COO Rolando G. Pacquiao shared, “Our commitment to drive the Philippines’ energy transition with our expertise in managing renewable assets while empowering communities is unwavering. We extend our gratitude to LTIPO for their continued trust and support for Hedcor, as we achieve our goals of delivering ‘cleanergy’ and building a brighter future for our host communities.”

Hedcor is an Aboitiz Power renewable energy asset manager with over 40 years of experience in delivering reliable energy. It manages the largest fleet of renewable assets in the Philippines, supporting the country’s energy transition goals.

The post La Trinidad IP community affirms cooperation with Hedcor appeared first on North Luzon Monitor.

BENECO general manager Melchor Licoben said. “Man-asok finally being awarded its COC is a big leap in attaining BENECO’s vision on going renewable. This final approval from the DOE means that the electricity produced by the Man-asok mini-hydro will be guaranteed to be paid by the government’s Feed in Tariff Allocation (FIT-ALL) rate.”

Licoben said that the COC is a significant achievement that proved the ability of the electric cooperative to erect its own power plant. “This means that BENECO can develop bigger renewable power generation projects that can provide cheaper power rates for our member-consumer-owners,” he said. BENECO’s Man-asok mini-hydro power plant has a capacity of 3.24 megawatt (MW). The FIT-ALL rate assures electric cooperatives that their generated power from renewable energy will be paid once the power is brought into the grid.

Effective November 25, 2024, the COC now gives permission to fully operate commercially as the electric cooperative hurdled the last major regulatory requirement for operating renewable energy projects. The Department of Energy (DOE) awarded BENECO’s eligibility for FIT in the last quarter of 2022, a few months after BENECO submitted its COC application on April 28, 2022. Prior to the issuance of the COC, the DOE and ERC validated and conducted virtual site-inspection of the plant’s compliance with regulatory requirements such as the Phil Grid Code.

Artemio Bacoco, BENECO’s power generation and operations department manager, said the FIT rate is P5.98 per kilowatt hour (kWh) with the possibility that it could increase to P6.00/kWh. “This is significantly higher compared to the buying price at the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM),” he said. The WESM is the country’s spot market for power supply. Bacoco said that the WESM buying rate for Man-asok for its September to October 2024 generated power was about P3.8/kWh while for October to November, the WESM buying price was about P4.219/kWh.

“The COC signals that we can now operate the Man-asok generation facility officially and that the plant will be entitled to all rights and privileges as a renewable energy facility, of course, this would mean that BENECO will also be accountable for all its obligations in running the plant,” Bacoco said.

Bacoco enumerated the other effects of the COC — tax exemptions on carbon credits, special tax rates on equipment and machineries, income tax holidays for seven years under the Board of Investments (BOI), and duty-free importation of RE machineries, equipment and materials for ten years. BENECO’s current power supplier is Limay Power Inc., a subsidiary of San MiguelPower Corp. LPI runs a coal fired power plant in Bataan.

The production in Man-asok will help reduce the electric cooperative’s power supply from LPI. The generation component of the monthly electric bill eats up 60% to 65% of the entire amount paid by consumers.

An electric cooperative that can produce power using renewable energy can lessen the dependence on such coal fired power plants.  The ERC in November 2023 directed the electric cooperative to refile its COC application pursuant to the revised COC rules. By Laarni S. Ilagan

The post BENECO’S Man-asok hydro gets COC appeared first on North Luzon Monitor.

“Pababa, pataas tsaka matumal ang benta… Dahil nga siguro sa bagyo, tignan niyo yung mga nabaha sa baba [Maynila]. Wala nang masyadong pumupuntang mga turista rito… lalo na at mataas ang presyo ng gulay” Ani Marjorie Kidlo, apat na taon nang tindera na dating OFW.

Ayon sa Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), pumalo sa 5.5% ang inflation rate ng lungsod simula nitong Oktubre 2024 dahil sa mga sunod-sunod na pasok ng bagyo sa bansa.

Mula naman sa Benguet Agri-Pinoy Trading Center (BAPTC), umangat sa 140% ang presyo ng ilang gulay nitong unang dalawang linggo ng Nobyembre 2024 sa probinsya matapos ang sunud-sunod na pagbagyo. 

Karaniwang tumataas ang presyo ng mga gulay sa pagpatak ng ikaapat na kwarter ng taon, pero dahil sa sunod-sunod na bagyo, mas tumaas ang presyo ng mga bilihin ngayong taon kumpara sa mga nagdaang panahon ayon na rin mismo sa mga manininda.

Ayon sa PSA nitong 2023 tinatayang nasa ₱11,600 ang poverty line sa rehiyon ng Cordillera.

Kaya naman sa panahon ng ka-paskohan, lahat ng klase ng pagtitipid ay handang gawin ng mga mamimili, magkaroon lang ng maihahanda.  

Kaniya-kaniyang diskarte na rin ang ginagawa ng mga mamimili para sa darating pasko at bagong taon.

Hindi lang ang budget para sa pasko at bagong taon ang apektado kung hindi pati narin ang budget ng mga estudyante linggo-linggo.

“Malaki ang epekto ng inflation sa budget ko, dahil fixed ang allowance na natatanggap ko every month, kailangan kong mag-adjust o gumawa ng paraan para makatipid,” ayon kay Florian Mercado, isang mag-aaral sa kolehiyo.” 

Pati ang budget para sa ibang mga bilihin ay apektado dahil sa pagtaas ng presyo ng mga pagkain sa palengke at lahat ng pamilihan.

“Imbis na kumain sa labas ay magluluto na lang ako o kaya naman ay yung mga kinakailangang mga bagay lang muna ang bibilhin ko,” dagdag pa nito. 

“Nakakalungkot at nakaka-stress yung pagtaas ng presyo ng mga bilihin, lalo na at hindi maiiwasan ang gastusin na kailangan sa school. Mahirap makipagsabayan sa pagtaas ng presyo, kaya syempre kailangan mas maging wise sa paggastos ng pera,” aniya. 

Dahil sa pagtaas ng mga presyo, marami ang apektado partikular ang mga nagtitinda at mamimili. 

Ang minimum wage ng bawat residente sa   Cordillera ay nasa ₱400 kada araw kaya naman malaking problema para sa kanila ang pagtaas ng presyo ng mga gulay gaya ng repolyo, bawang, sibuyas, lettuce, bokchoy, sayote, atpb.

Iba’t ibang diskarte ang ginagawa ng bawat mamimili para pagkasyahin ang kanilang badyet gaya ng pagbawas sa kanilang mga binibili at kanilang inuunang bilhin ang mga gulay na kanilang kailangan.

“Malaking epekto ang inflation, dati isang kilo ng sibuyas ang binibili ko pero ngayon kalahati na lang at pinagkakasya ko ito.” Bigkas ni Loida Allawan, isang senior citizen na namimili sa Baguio Public Market.

Magkahalong galit at pagkadimasya ang emosyong nararamdaman ng mga mamimili gaya ni Allawan dahil sa patuloy na pagtaas ng mga presyo.

“Syempre, nagagalit ako sa ganun kasi naghihirap yung family… I feel helpless kasi I cannot do something anything about it kasi kung yung mga government officials, wala ngang ginagawa. Helpless ang ordinary citizens just like me,” ani Allawan. By Alexis Aubrey P. Asalil, University of the Philippines – Baguio, Student Jounalist in Training 

The post Taas-presyo ng bilihin ramdam sa Baguio appeared first on North Luzon Monitor.

The proposed measure aims to enhance the safety, security, and peaceful utilization of nuclear energy in the country.

Filed under Committee Report No. 429 on December 10, 2024, Senate Bill No. 2899 or the Philippine National Nuclear Energy Safety Act seeks to institutionalize PhilATOM as an independent regulatory body with exclusive authority over nuclear safety and security.

Its mandate includes developing policies, setting safety standards, conducting inspections, and overseeing the transport, storage, and disposal of radioactive materials.

“Doon sa mga may agam-agam, may doubt sa nuclear power plant at nuclear energy: this bill is not to put up a nuclear power plant. It’s precisely to have the institution and the right people to be able to assess the use of nuclear energy in our country,” Cayetano said.

The legislation consolidates provisions from existing laws and international guidelines to ensure comprehensive oversight. It specifies penalties for unauthorized handling or misuse of nuclear materials and prioritizes public health, safety, and environmental protection.

The bill also mandates PhilATOM to develop a national plan for off-site nuclear or radiological emergencies, integrate these plans with national disaster frameworks, and coordinate with international organizations like the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Cayetano highlighted the potential benefits of nuclear energy, including its role in advancing medicine and agriculture and addressing climate change.

As the Philippines anticipates the integration of nuclear energy into its energy mix, Cayetano assured the public of stringent safety measures, transparency, and accountability under the proposed regulatory framework.

The bill has gained support from various stakeholders, including scientists, energy experts, and policymakers who view it as a step toward a modern and sustainable future.

“For the purpose of passing this bill, we’ll try as much as possible to separate it so that hindi tayo ma-delay… I’ll really try to get it on the floor ASAP,” Cayetano said.

The bill is expected to undergo further deliberation in the Senate during the current session. NLMonitor

The post Cayetano pushes for creation of PhilATOM to regulate safe use of nuclear energy in PH appeared first on North Luzon Monitor.

The ordinance includes key provisions aimed at safeguarding basic human rights, protecting human rights defenders, and penalizing red-tagging by state actors. It institutionalizes not only the protection of human rights but also the defense of those who advocate for them.

“The Baguio HRDO is a significant milestone for the city in protecting human rights. Ensuring the protection of human rights defenders and holding accountable those who violate these rights is a crucial step toward fostering a safe and inclusive environment for advocacy and social justice. Now, we must ensure that this ordinance is fully implemented and enforced,” said Gabriel Siscar, 4th Nominee of Kabataan Partylist.

Since 2018, organizations such as the Cordillera Human Rights Alliance (CHRA), Tongtongan ti Umili (TTU), Youth Act Now Against Tyranny (YANAT), and Kabataan Partylist Cordillera have advocated for an ordinance protecting human rights defenders. From the proposed Anti-Political Vilification Ordinance to the newly passed HRDO, these groups have worked tirelessly to combat red-tagging, harassment, and violence in the region.

“Without the collective effort of the people, measures to ensure the protection of our human rights would not exist. We deeply appreciate the support for this ordinance—from the citizens of Baguio to the members of the Baguio City Council,” said Gabriel Siscar.

The ordinance aligns with today’s celebration of the 76th International Human Rights Day. This year’s celebration in Baguio City underscores the ongoing struggle of its citizens for human rights and the implementation of policies to protect them. Just a year ago, the city passed a resolution declaring Baguio an inclusive human rights city. Part of this year’s celebration is a call for the city government to concretize this resolution through actionable measures.

As human rights violations—such as red-tagging, harassment, trumped-up charges, and false terrorist designations—persist, it is vital for institutions to establish strong mechanisms for protection and justice. The passage of the Baguio HRDO is a significant step forward. Now, we look toward larger and broader victories for human rights.

The post A victory for the city and for human rights  appeared first on North Luzon Monitor.

Councilor Jose Molintas, Chairman, Committee on Laws celebrated the passing of the Human Rights Defenders Act with hope that protection of advocates will be safeguarded.

In time for the celebration of the 76th International Human Rights Day, Molintas said ‘’The Baguio City Council overwhelmingly approved a groundbreaking ordinance designed to safeguard the rights and fundamental freedoms of human rights defenders (HRDs) operating within the city.  This landmark legislation establishes crucial protective mechanisms and allocates necessary funds to ensure the safety and security of those working tirelessly to uphold human rights in our community.”

The law was introduced by city councilors; Peter Fianza, Jose Molintas, Fred Bagbagen, Arthur Allad-iw in 2023 and aimed to address violations in the city experienced by a multi sectoral group of individuals and organizations including political vilification, unfounded red-tagging and terrorist-labelling, harassment, intimidation, that were brought to the local government unit, the Commission on Human Rights and local courts.

Irene Khan, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the freedom of expression and opinion in handpicked Baguio City in her visit, January due to reports of violations in human rights in the city, taking groups, inividuals and media to a private meeting to listen to each sectors concern.

The ordinance cited “The Cordillera Youth Center, Tongtongan ti Umili, Youth Act Now Against Tyranny Baguio-Benguet, Cordillera Human Rights Alliance, among others have been seeking redress and lobbying in the City Council since 2018 for policies and programs protecting and promoting human rights.”

Molintas said the ordinance addresses a clear legal definition of human rights defenders and ensures that those deserving protection are clearly identified and covered under the law, legal assistance, psychological support, and safe havens for those facing threats with funding.

“This ordinance is not just a legal document; it is a testament to our city’s unwavering commitment to human rights and the rule of law. It sends a strong message that Baguio City stands firmly behind those who champion justice and equality.  We are confident that this ordinance will serve as a model for other local governments and contribute to a safer and more just environment for all.”

Baguio City, through the ordinance addresses the proliferation of human rights violations against individuals, groups, and communities and commits to a safe space for everyone. Maria Elena Catajan

The post Human rights law passed in Baguio appeared first on North Luzon Monitor.

The 14 countries are Afghanistan, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea, India, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Republic of South Sudan, and Uganda.

Doctors Without Borders urged all countries to update their national guidelines so they are in line with the WHO recommendations for the care of children with TB, and to allocate the needed resources—along with developing clear plans with timelines to implement the policies and increase access to TB prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the children with TB in the country. Doctors Without Borders also urged international donors and technical support agencies to provide sufficient funding to countries to support paediatric TB policy reforms and implementation.

“TB is curable, also in children. The WHO has updated policies to guide countries in providing the best possible care to children with TB, one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases,” said Stijn Deborggraeve, Diagnostics Advisor at MSF Access Campaign. “Yet countries are lagging behind in adopting and implementing these solutions for testing, preventing, and treating TB in children. We urge countries, donors and technical agencies to put an end to this deadly status quo and step up their efforts to ensure timely diagnosis and treatment of TB in children. We can no longer afford inaction—every delay means that more children die unnecessarily.”

Of the 14 policy indicators measured in the Doctors Without Borders report, only one country’s policies are fully aligned with WHO guidance, while seven countries have more than 80% alignment, and four countries still fall below 50% alignment. The largest gaps were found in policies related to diagnosing TB in children. For example, only 5 out of 14 countries have adapted their guidelines to initiate TB treatment in children when symptoms strongly indicate TB disease, even if bacteriological tests are negative. Additionally, only 4 of these 5 countries have the necessary resources to implement this guidance effectively.

The WHO estimates that 1.25 million children and young adolescents (0-14 years) fall ill with TB each year, but that only half of these children are diagnosed and treated. Based on the latest scientific evidence, WHO revised its guidance in 2022 for the management of children and adolescents with TB and made several key recommendations, including the use of treatment decision algorithms that allow many children to be diagnosed based on symptoms alone in absence of lab confirmation, and offering short oral regimens to treat and prevent TB disease in children. If adopted and implemented, the WHO recommendations would drastically improve the diagnosis and quality of care for children with TB.

“Since the older children have been able to benefit from the shorter three-month, once-weekly TB preventive treatment, they have really appreciated how easy it is to take, as have their parents, and the adherence to treatment is much improved. This is a first-hand example of how keeping up with the latest recommendations can provide patient-centered quality of care as well as improving the national indicators on preventive treatment. We are looking forward to making it available for all ages soon,” says Trisha Thadhani, Filipino TB doctor from the Doctors Without Borders TB project in Tondo, Manila.

However, the work does not stop with policy reforms. For example, new, shorter, all-oral regimens are now recommended by the WHO for both drug-susceptible (DS-) and drug-resistant TB (DR-TB) treatment in children, but their rollout in countries remains slow. Additionally, while new and child-friendly TB drugs are available for DS- and DR-TB, these are not always procured by countries.

“It’s unfortunate that child-friendly formulations of TB drugs are still not available in many countries due to bureaucratic barriers and funding gaps,” said Dr. Cathy Hewison, Head of Doctors Without Borders TB working group. “As a result, children with TB are forced to swallow crushed and bitter medicines without appropriate weight-based doses, putting them at grave risk of side effects and treatment failure. This neglect must end now. We call on governments, donors, and global health organisations to act with urgency, ensuring no child dies or suffers from a preventable, treatable disease like TB. The tools and treatments we have must reach the children who need them most – now.”

Doctors Without Borders held a media orientation on TB on November 29, 2024, participated in by more than 25 Filipino journalists.

The group shared a Global Tuberculosis Report 2024, noting that TB returned to be the world’s leading infectious disease killer in 2023. About 10.8 million people fell ill with TB that year and 1.25 million died of the disease. TB incidence rate is estimated to have increased by 4.6 percent between 2020 and 2023, revising the decline of about 2 percent yearly between 2010 and 2020.

The report said two-thirds of the global total of TB cases are from only eight countries – India, China, Indonesia, Philippines, Pakistan, Nigeria, Bangladesh, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The post Doctors without Borders calls for urgent action for TB appeared first on North Luzon Monitor.

Jolly Joyce Sulapas, Audrei Anne Ybañez, and Dr. Alfredo Mahar Francisco Lagmay of the University of the Philippines – Diliman College of Science (UPD-CS), along with Kayla Milcah Marasigan and Julian Marie Bernice Grageda of the UP Resilience Institute Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards (UPRI-NOAH) analyzed land subsidence in major Philippine cities from 2014 to 2020.

Their land subsidence analysis showed that Bulacan, which is located in Greater Manila, has the highest sinking rate at 109 millimeters (mm) per year. This was also the first study to examine land subsidence in other cities, with rates of 11 mm per year in Metro Cebu, 38 mm per year in Metro Davao, 9 mm per year in Metro Iloilo, and 29 mm per year in Legazpi City. “The high population density of cities makes the information more relevant to the public, as its impact on people is greater,” Sulapas said. “Cities are also more vulnerable to land subsidence because the subsurface strata, or the rocks beneath the cities, are relatively younger.”

These sinking areas are mostly found in industrial and commercial zones, where large and expansive man-made structures intensify subsidence. Monitoring these areas is crucial, as subsidence increases flood risks, damages buildings and infrastructure, and causes economic losses. This hazard also increases the vulnerability of residents in coastal communities to high tides and storm surges aggravated by climate change.

“It seems like industrial complexes require a lot of water to keep their operations running. The same can be said for residential areas,” Sulapas noted.

A reconnaissance fieldwork near the trace of the West Valley Fault showing cracks on the road with vertical displacements of 5-7 cm and an aperture of 12 cm (Photo credit: Sulapas et. al., 2024)

The study recommends sustainable groundwater use and improved water management practices. Sulapas mentioned that previous studies on land subsidence were recognized by the National Water Resources Board (NWRB). “The Board then identified zones where groundwater usage would be restricted,” she said.

“My co-authors were part of a previous study on subsidence in Metro Manila and surrounding provinces. This was during the year 2010,” Sulapas added. “So more than a decade later, what we wanted to do is to update the deformation data. In the case of the Greater Manila area, what happened after more than a decade?”

Moving forward, the team of researchers plans to incorporate additional data, such as groundwater extraction in the major Philippine metropolitan cities covered in their study, and correlate it with existing information. They also intend to continuously update their data to include the years 2021 to the present, collaborating with other researchers interested in contributing to the study over the next decade and beyond.

The research, titled “Ground subsidence in major Philippine metropolitan cities from 2014 to 2020,” was published in the International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, which publishes original papers that apply earth observation data to the inventory and management of natural resources and the environment.

The post UP Geologists report subsidence in cities appeared first on North Luzon Monitor.

The proposed ordinance seeks to prevent the prevalence of obesity in the city. According to Yangot, there is a need to craft policies that address obesity as this condition is linked to noncommunicable diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and other chronic diseases.

Referencing a survey conducted by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute-Department of Science and Technology (FNRI-DOST), Yangot stressed that cases of obesity in the Philippines have been rising.

He said that, in 2021, four out of 10 adults were either overweight or obese, while one in 10 adolescents were in the same condition. He added that, in 2022, hypertension was the leading cause of death in Baguio City followed by cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.

“Pursuant to Republic Act No. 7394 or the Consumer Act of the Philippines, the city government recognizes the need to disclose nutrition information for food and beverages made available to the public to help consumers make informed and healthier choices,” Yangot stated.

Once enacted, the ordinance will be implemented in three phases. For the first phase or during its first year, the ordinance will apply to businesses with five or more branches. In the second year (second phase), its coverage will expand to include hotels and businesses with two to four branches. In the third year (third phase), all restaurants and food establishments will be covered.

Exempted from the ordinance are Barangay Micro Businesses Enterprises as defined by Republic Act No. 9178 and Micro Small and Medium Enterprises as defined by Republic Act No. 6977. Other exempted businesses are those that do not offer standard menu items and those with daily specials, temporary menu items, custom orders, and other non-standardized menu items.

Businesses covered by the ordinance must display the calorie content of each food item next to its name on the menu. This must include the calorie count for each serving and for every combination meal. Other nutrition information such as carbohydrates, protein, fat, sugar, and sodium must be available in printed materials upon the customer’s request.

The calorie and nutrition calculation must be done by any laboratory accredited by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or any registered nutritionist-dietitian.

Exempted businesses that choose to disclose nutrition information will be provided incentives such as promotion and public recognition through various channels, and capacity training privileges.

Fines for non-compliant businesses range from P1,000.00 to P5,000.00 with additional penalties such as notices of violation, cease-and-desist orders, and revocations of business permits.

A Calorie Labeling Technical Working Group (TWG) consisting of various city government offices will be formed to oversee the implementation of the ordinance and conduct stakeholder consultations.

Capacity building programs will be implemented to assist businesses with proper calorie labeling and nutrition information disclosure. Information and education campaigns will also be launched to encourage businesses to reformulate their menus by including healthier food alternatives and to help the public make informed food choices.

The proposed ordinance was approved on first reading by the Baguio City Council and referred to the Committee on Health, Sanitation, and Environmental Protection for review. Baguio City – Sangguniang Panlungsod

The post Calorie count in menu sought appeared first on North Luzon Monitor.