Twenty-seven new Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNS) and eight (8) Nutritionist-Dietitians (NDs) of the city of Manila attended the online orientation on the Barangay Nutrition Scholar Program (BNSP) on April 20-22, 2021 via Zoom.  The orientation was conducted by the National Nutrition Council-NCR as requested by the city government.

The BNSP is an important strategy of the government in ensuring that nutrition services are delivered to the communities.

Barangay Nutrition Scholars are barangay-based nutrition workers who serve as a link between the community and the service providers working to improve the nutritional status of families, particularly the women and children in the barangays. They are recognized as one of the critical human resources that could contribute to the improvement of the barangay nutrition situation and the achievement of the goals of the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) which is the country’s framework in improving the nutrition situation.

Due to the current situation brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic that do not allow the usual face-to-face training and due to time constraints, a three-half day online orientation was conducted instead of the five-day Basic Course Training for BNSs to orient the new NDs and BNSs of the city of Manila on the BNS Program.

The NNC-NCR team led by Regional Nutrition Program Coordinator Milagros Elisa V. Federizo conducted the online orientation.  Discussed during the orientation were the legal mandate and rationale of the BNS Program; roles and functions of the BNS; core values that a BNS must possess; basic concepts on food and nutrition; assessing the nutritional status of children; documentation, report writing and record keeping; and the roles of BNSs in the implementation of the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition or the PPAN.  Methodologies used were lecture-discussion and video presentation. 

NPC Federizo thanked the city government under the leadership of Mayor Isko Moreno for hiring new NDs and BNSs which a big boost to the city’s nutrition program. For many years, the city of Manila has not hired BNSs or NDs and only a few nutrition workers are doing the gargantuan task of implementing and coordinating the city’s nutrition programs in its 897 barangays. With the hiring of new NDs and BNSs, the NNC-NCR is optimistic that the coverage of programs and services will greatly improve, and the nutritional status of pregnant women, infants and young children will be closely monitored.  NPC Federizo encouraged the NDs and BNSs to work together toward the improvement of the city’s implementation of the PPAN. “Umaaasa kami na sa pagtutulungan ng mga bagong NDs at BNSs, ay higit na gaganda at maayos na maipapatupad ang nutrition programs ng city of Manila”, said NPC Federizo.

City Nutrition Action Officer Dr. Edgar N. Santos II thanked the newly hired NDs and BNSs for serving the communities despite the pandemic. “Tuloy-tuloy lang po tayo sa programa natin sa nutrisyon and at the same time, ginagawa po natin itong mga program natin laban sa COVID-19 pandemic”, explains Dr. Santos.  He ensured that the city government, particularly the city health department will continue to work hard to improve the nutrition situation of the city. “Rest assured na hindi po natin hinihinto yung program natin sa nutrition, continue pa din po yung OPT, feeding program, Vitamin A supplementation. Sana continue lang to help us para maimprove natin ang nutrition situation ng city of Manila”, Dr. Santos added.

After the online orientation, it is expected that the new NDs, being the supervisors of the BNSs, will orient all the rest of the BNSs. When the situation allows face-to-face training, the nutrition secretariat will conduct the Training on the Basic Course for BNSs following the prescribed training modules developed by NNC and IHNF-UPLB. 

Trained nutrition workers are essential in the implementation of the PPAN.  The local government units must invest in the deployment of nutrition workers such as nutritionist-dietitians and barangay nutrition scholars and capacitate them through trainings and continuing education activities. Well-capacitated nutrition workers can do more and achieve more for the nutrition improvement of families and communities.


Written by: NO I Joyce Ann P. Pardo, NOIII Emerenciana L. Francia, and NPC Milagros Elisa V. Federizo