Malnutrition is a global problem in which no country can continue to neglect. Millions of people are suffering from different forms of malnutrition. In the UNICEF report entitled “The State of the World’s Children 2019”, it stated that the numbers are becoming worryingly high. Globally, one in three children under the age of five is stunted, wasted or overweight and, in some cases, suffers from a combination of two of these forms of malnutrition, while in East Asia and Pacific it is nearly one in five.
In the Philippines, the percentage of stunted and nutrient-deficient children is slow to reduce due to several factors such as poverty, low consumer demand for nutritious food, natural and manmade disasters, and limited capacity of some local government units to deliver nutrition interventions. In order to decrease the number of stunted, wasted, and obese children and demand the active participation and community engagement at the grassroots level, Presidential Decree No. 1569 also known as the Barangay Nutrition Program (BNP) was enacted by then President Ferdinand Marcos.
According to Department of Health and National Nutrition Council, the BNP is a human resource development strategy of the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN), which involves the recruitment, training, deployment and supervision of volunteer workers called Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNS). BNS volunteers are deployed in every barangay in the country to monitor the nutritional status of children and other nutritionally-at-risk groups and/or link communities with nutrition and nutrition-related service providers.
One of the basic tasks of the BNS is to locate and identify malnourished children through community survey referred to as the Operation Timbang Plus. The BNS also engages the community to action by organizing community-based organizations to work and help the barangay to improve the nutrition situation among the vulnerable, organize mothers’ class or community nutrition education classes, provide nutrition counselling services, managing community-based feeding programs under the supervision of a trained personnel, and many more.
In return, BNSs receive incentives for their hard work. After completing two consecutive years of satisfactory service, the BNS can avail of a first level eligibility by filing the proper application with the regional office or Civil Service Commission (CSC). On top of that, a BNS receives modest monthly allowance from NNC in Manila, and from provincial, city, municipal or barangay governments.
Truly, Barangay Nutrition Scholars are not just nutrition advocates but also barangay’s frontliners. It requires a strong commitment, good understanding, and clear acknowledgement of a shared responsibility to address the alarming nutrition situation. With our BNSs, it is now easier to locate, identify and manage malnourished children at the grassroot level. Mabuhay ang ating mga Barangay Nutrition Scholars!
AA VI Cielo Katrina M. Mabalot
References:
1. “Barangay Nutrition Scholar (BNS) Program” from https://doh.gov.ph/health-program/BNS
2. “Barangay Nutrition Scholar (BNS) Program” from https://www.nnc.gov.ph/plans-and-programs/barangay-nutrition-scholar-bns-program
3. “Malnutrition is a world health crisis” from https://www.who.int/news/item/26-09-2019-malnutrition-is-a-world-health-crisis
4. “Volunteers for Healthier Children: The Barangay Nutrition Scholars” from http://www.pnvsca.gov.ph/?p=583
