Ms. Teresita Madrona Patino, one of the pioneer Barangay Nutrition Scholars of the San City since 1978, is the City’s Outstanding BNS for 2015. The year 2015 was really a turning point in her career as the new Barangay Nutrition Scholar at Barangay Pasadena replacing the retired BNS Ms. Luz Alipao. Honed through the years in the field of community nutrition with experience, trainings and seminars along with the very supportive Barangay Nutrition Council of Pasadena, she succeeded in making it to the top.

As the new BNS of Barangay Pasadena, Ms. Patino started off with a courtesy call to the Pasadena Barangay Nutrition Council. She asked permission from the Chairperson on Health and the Health Staff to make rooms for improvement in the health station. With her wit, charm, wisdom, knowledge, understanding, and humbling spirit, she won the hearts of the Pasadena community, barangay council, health staff and NGO’s.

Through her persistence and advocacy, the Barangay Council passed several resolutions and Executive Orders in support of the nutrition program in 2015: 

1. Resolution No. 22, “A resolution Allowing Barangay Council of Pasadena to Hold Supplemental Feeding for Malnourished Children of Barangay Pasadena”
2. Resolution No. 26, “A Resolution Implementing the Celebration of Nutrition Month 2015”
3. Resolution No. 31, “A Resolution Requiring All Residents in Barangay Pasadena to Cultivate Vegetables in their Households”
4. Resolution No. 32, “Adopting the City Resolution No. 30 Series of 1995, A Resolution Urging Retailers to Sell in their Stalls or Stores Iodized Salt for Public Consumption”
5. Resolution No. 39, “A Resolution Providing for the Creation of Bantay Asin Task Force”
6. Resolution No. 40, “Reorganizing the Barangay Nutrition Council of Barangay Pasadena”
7. Resolution No. 41, “A Resolution Allowing Barangay Pasadena to Have A Mural of 10 Kumainments and Install Tarpaulin Showing Ten Kumainments to All Streets of Barangay Pasadena”
8. Resolution No. 101, “Adopting and Creating a Lactation Station at Pasadena Health Station”
9. Executive Order No. 005, “An Order Designating Kgd. Crispina V. Gonzales as the Barangay Nutrition Action Officer (BNAO) and BNC Function Thereof”
10. Executive Order No. 006, “ An Order Organizing the Barangay Pasadena Cluster in Emergencies of the City of San Juan”

In her one year as BNS of Barangay Pasedena, she has already accomplished much with the help of the BNC that allotted budget for nutrition.  This resulted in the reduction of the prevalence rate of underweight among children 0-71 months old from 2.3% in 2014 to 1.9% in 2015. She even has a livelihood project wherein she sells iodized salt and the proceeds are used to buy seeds and seedlings for household vegetable gardening of the families of malnourished children.  She also strives to continuously improve her documentation, record keeping and reporting of accomplishments.  With the support of the BNC, she remains motivated and determined to do more for the nutrition improvement of the children and their families in Barangay Pasedena.