ADVOCATING “HEALTHFUL LIVING,” the Kapisanang Agham ng San Beda (KASB), alongside the ‘Boses ng Kabataan’ Youth Organization, initiated their “Healthy Havits: Kalusugan Caravan,” event series at the City of Mandaluyong Science High School (CMSHS) last November 20.
The organization distributed 200 packs of Ascorbic Acid to 200 grade seven students who participated in the activity that was headed by the organization’s President, Alvin Sebastian “Basti” Mangaliag. This activity will serve as the official commencement of the Caravan’s other initiatives for this Academic Year (A.Y.) 2024-2025.
According to him, the event was originally born from one of the recommendations given to KASB during the Organization Selection Evaluation (OSE) last Academic Year (AY); motioning the organization to spearhead an event that would “incorporate teaching a healthy lifestyle.”
The City of Mandaluyong Science High School became the event’s first location because the school, give its nature, was “more likely inclined talaga sila sa science.” Moreover, he also mentioned his background as an alumnus of the institution, emphasizing that CMSHS “is very close to my heart to share my knowledge with my fellow batmans or batang ManSci.”
In addition, behind-the-scenes, the activity was initially planned to target the entire high school. However, “because of time constraints and the compact space of the venue,” the organization thus settled on the grade seven students to ensure that “all sections of said year level will participate smoothly.”
Into the event proper, Mangaliag’s talk, titled “From A to Zinc,” discussed the importance of vitamins where he stressed that “vitamins cannot be manufactured by the human body.” Because of this, the KASB president disclosed that “we actually get vitamins from our diet.”
Additionally, Mangaliag also highlighted the critical role of Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, in boosting immunity and overall health, and warned of the adverse effects of vitamin deficiency such as bleeding gums, breaking of blood vessels and the skin becoming itchy and scaly. Hence, this prompted KASB to distribute 200 packs of ascorbic acid, each containing 40 Vitamin C tablets, to 200 grade seven students.
Mangaliag further explained that “ascorbic acid is one of our main aids para sa immune system,” noting that it is an essential component in teaching the youth to incorporate it into their diets.
Overall, the KASB president considered the event as a “success” but also assessed important points of improvement, stating “we will assess how to deliver our information in a way na maiintindihan talaga siya ng person na ‘di inclined sa science.”
Setting his sights forwards, Mangaliag hopes for the caravan’s continuation after the University’s activity ban. “Hopefully matuloy namin siya after ng activitiy ban ng school so we have venues na kung saan namin itutuloy ‘yung caravan starting sa January.”