BAGUIO CITY, Jan. 29 (PIA) -- About 79 Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNS) from the six provinces and two cities in the region gathered for the first Cordillera Administrative Region(CAR) BNS Conference last January 28 at the Hotel Supreme here.

Sponsored by the National Nutrition Council (NNC)-CAR, the conference was aimed to provide the BNS with updates on the nutrition programs necessary in the effective delivery of their task. Likewise to provide opportunity to strengthen fellowship among the BNS in the region and to orient them about the Revised Nutritional Guidelines for Filipinos (NGF), said Bella Basalong, Nutrition Officer III of NNC-CAR.

Kendall Gatan of NNC explained that the BNS program is a human resource development strategy of the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition which involves the recruitment, training, deployment and supervision of volunteer workers or BNS.

Presidential Decree No. 1569 mandates the deployment of one BNS in every barangay to monitor the nutritional status of children and link communities with nutrition and related service providers, he informed.

Topics also included childhood obesity: Prevention and management strategies by City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit Head Dr. Donnabel L. Tubera and overview of the revised NGF by Basalong.

There was also a sharing of best practices by Ms. Monica N. Sicat, a BNS of City Camp Barangay, Baguio City and 2011 Regional Outstanding Barangay Nutrition Scholar (ROBNS) and 1st Runner-up National Outstanding BNS 2011.

Ms. Sherilyn B. Balauro of the Benguet State University conducted a food demo entitled “Left Over, Make-Over”.

Other activities include accomplishment of BSN forms like BNS action plan, BNS monthly accomplishment report, and automated OPT Plus forms for BNS facilitated by OIC Ma. Eileen Bringas-Blanco. (JDP/MAWC – PIA CAR)