The unspoiled and still unexplored island of Lubang is located southwest of Manila and northwest of mainland Mindoro. As an island, it boasts of extensive marine biodiversity. And now, it also boasts of its dedicated community nutrition worker in the person of Mary Karen Dueñas of Barangay Bagong Sikat in the municipality of Lubang.

Mary Karen Dueñas is the 2014 Regional Outstanding Barangay Nutrition Scholar for Mimaropa Region for having the highest final score of 96.05% among the other six contenders from the different provinces and cities in Mimaropa

Mary Karen Dueñas was visited and evaluated by Nutrition Officer III Jellie Anne Palencia of the National Nutrition Council – Mimaropa and Regional Nutrition Evaluation Team member Mark Angelo Lorenzo of the Department of Social Welfare and Development – Mimaropa last 15 May 2015. Although BNS Dueñas’ clients which include the preschool children, and pregnant and lactating women, among others, are relatively small in numbers, the two evaluators saw the perseverance of BNS Dueñas in monitoring their nutritional status in the barangay which is relatively large in land area. The barangay also maintains its zero malnourish status since the 1st Quarter of 2014. BNS Dueñas, together with other members of the Barangay Nutrition Committee, also religiously maintains their community garden, conducts mothers’ classes and supplementary feeding and advocates for mass micronutrient supplementation and the use of fortified foods in their barangay.

BNS Dueñas will be visited and evaluated by the National Nutrition Evaluation Team by the 3rd week of August 2015.