Event Speaker Mrs. Erlinda P. Binghay, MPH, RND of the CVGH Nutrition Clinic
The MHAM CM Community Extension Services Office (CESO) initiated a half-day forum focused on Nutrition on Medicine last March 4, 2017 at the MHAM Audio Visual Room in the morning.
Participants of the Nutrition in Medicine forum
Participated by MHAM students and Carcar City Barangay Health Workers (BHW), the forum was presented by the Cebu Network for Nutrition Promotion member, Mrs. Erlinda Binghay.
Interview with Mrs. Erlinda P. Binghay, MPH, RND
“This initiation by the MHAM CESO is very significant towards the integration of nutrition in Medicine so it gives the students an overview that the root cause of all the diseases can also be the lifestyle and of course, the diet. This is first time with MHAM and the CESO leaders liked the idea of the philosophy of how we put nutrition that would really support good health care. This campaign that we have is as useful as medicine, as an initiative, limit process food, and eat real food. The role of the eighty percent real and the twenty percent processed is very essential to put it straightforward”, said Binghay in an interview.
Designated as the Director for Nutrition Services at Near North Health Service Corporation and a faculty at the Northwestern University-Department of Preventive Medicine in Chicago, Binghay square-shootingly explained the importance of nutrition as a foundation for health through healthy lifestyle. “To sum it up, it is likely that all non infectious complex diseases have their origins during development. The major contributor of malnutrition includes inadequacy of foods and diseases”, she added.
The event speaker in her “Global Food and Nutrition Challenges” presentation
In addition, Binghay also stressed that nutrition education and all levels of medical training program are among the efforts towards the role of nutrition in Medicine. She pointed out to the student-participants to understand that nutrition is a widely-accepted tool for management and provincial chronic diseases in the country, how to make better food choices and attend to the specific situation and why doctors need to learn about nutrition.
Introduction of Speaker: Internal Affairs Director, Mr. Jarvis Prochina
To note, Mrs. Binghay has contributed in several organizations in the United States such as the Mayors Advisory Council on Infant Mortality Reduction Initiative, the Maternal and Child Health Advisory Council at the University of Minnesota-School of Public Health and the Illinois Diabetes Control Prevention Program.
Welcoming the newly-elected Student Council Governor, Louie Lopez
The community campaign on nutrition is very timely and in relevance to partner communities outside Cebu City such as the City of Carcar. Comprises with fifteen barangays, fifteen Barangay Wealth Workers (BHW) attended the said forum and are expected to reecho the learnings they have acquired from the event.
All the way from Carcar City: 15 BHWs from 15 barangays attended the forum
With Carcar City BHW President and BHW Federation of Central Visayas Vice President, Ranelina Caballero
According to Carcar City BHW President who comes from Barangay Tapal, Mrs. Ranelina Caballero, the knowledge they have acquired during the forum will be shared to their constituents in each barangay. “This talk about nutrition had helped us in understanding and knowing the right foods for healthy lifestyle. Today’s input is very significant to us because there is truly a need to change towards right nutrition as an investment of the future especially to our children”, said Caballero.
Meanwhile, the MHAM CESO’s institutionalized programs with its foremost core to bring health in the hands of partner community residents especially in upland areas have made the forum possible as a community campaign towards food as medicine initiative.
Event hosts: Kathryn V. De Rozario and Alfred Nolan M. Diaz
Well-facilitated by sophomore student-hosts, Kathryn V. De Rozario and Alfred Nolan M. Diaz, the forum proper followed right after the lecture where students asked stressing questions to the event speaker, responded with more pressing answers.
Forum proper
Led by MHAM CESO Director, Dr. Ma. Yvonne Lanuza and Internal Affairs Director, Mr. Jarvis Prochina, a total of four hundred sixty-three participants graced the event on nutrition awareness. “We are on the road of good nutrition. Time and health are two precious assets that we do not recognize and appreciate until they have been depleted. Let us all be bearers of change in our family, in our community, in our country and in the entire big world”, said Dr. Lanuza in her Closing Remarks.
The MHAM CM student-participants led by CESO Director, Dr. Ma Yvonne Lanuza
The forum ended with a take home message from the speaker which was quoted from Thomas Edison that says, “The doctor of the future will no longer treat the human frame with drugs, but rather will cure and prevent disease with nutrition”. (Ana Liza Abao)