The Health Promotion Centre under the Ministry of Health (MoH) is tasked to empower Bruneians to be healthy and fit by raising the level of awareness, knowledge and understanding on health matters, particularly lifestyle-related diseases. It also serves as a resource centre for enabling the public to acquire information, skills and tools to manage their health and functioning as a community outreach centre with special focus on providing health education programmes and activities for children and the youth.
In April 2021, a memorandum of understanding was inked between the MoH and Gleaneagles JPMC for a collaborative venture comprising three programmes to be implemented by the Health Promotion Centre.
The first is the Workplace and Health (WAH) Programme that encourages workplaces to provide for and support active lifestyle, healthy eating, becoming smoke-free and have good mental well-being.
Secondly, the Happy Environment and Lifestyle (HEAL) Programme, intended to facilitate and support physical activity interventions in community settings leveraging on partnerships and networking with local stakeholders.
The third programme, the Health Lifestyle Programme, is intended to complement the other two programmes in raising awareness on lifestyle risk factors including unhealthy eating and smoking.
Bandarku Ceria began in October 2016 to promote physical activity among the public. Every Sunday from 6am to 10am, the roads around Taman Haji Sir Muda Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien are closed and turned into a car-free zone.
Through Bandarku Ceria, the public is encouraged to use spaces available in the capital for recreation, cultural, family and community activities. The initiative transforms Bandar Seri Begawan into a vibrant urban park enjoyed by all through activities such as jogging, cycling and aerobics. Bandarku Ceria has seen an increasing number of public participation including people cycling on the streets safely without cars, joining morning exercise as well as hunting for bargains at the stalls set up around the city.
After a brief hiatus following the second wave of the COVID-19 outbreak in August last year, the Bandarku Ceria programme resumed in November 2021 with COVID-19 preventative measures as part of the Transition Phase of the National COVID-19 Recovery Plan Framework. Only fully vaccinated adults are allowed, whereas children aged 17 and below – unvaccinated or with one dose – must be accompanied by parents or guardians.
Stalls and vendors returned to Bandarku Ceria in the capital on Sundays starting January 9, 2022.
Copyright 2019 Borneo Bulletin Yearbook 2019 All rights reserved.
