NNC MIMAROPA staff Nutrition Officer III Ms. Camille Chen, Nutrition Officer II Ms. Bianca Estrella, and Nutrition Officer I Ms. Nichole Loyola, together with Palawan provincial trainers Provincial Nutrition Action Officer Ms. Rachel Paladan and District Nutrition Program Coordinators Ms. Darelle Jaide Sanchez and Ms. Mila Veneranda served as facilitators for Day 1 of the Training on Barangay Nutrition Scholar (BNS) Basic Course to 15 participants from LGUs Palawan Province and Puerto Princesa City via Zoom Application on 24 May 2021.

The training content is packaged into five modules. Traditionally, it is a five-day session, however due to constraints brought by COVID-19, it was optimized into a three-day training.

Day 1 covered the following topics: Module 1 - The Barangay Nutrition Scholar Program This module presents the legal basis and rationale for the implementation of the BNS program; selection, recruitment, benefits, incentives, roles, functions, and core values of BNSs.

Module 2 - Basic Concepts in Food and Nutrition This module discusses the information about the relationship of food, diet, and nutritional status, different forms of malnutrition, its causes, and consequences.

Module 3 - Preparing the BNS in Performing their Roles and Functions (Part 1) This module equips the BNSs with important skills – communication and presentation skills needed to effectively perform their roles and functions.

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, learning never stops, especially when it comes to capacitating our health and nutrition workers and improving the performances of all barangay nutrition scholars in the LGU, as CNAO Mary Pearl P. Rodriguez stated.

(NKSLoyola)