Barangay Nutrition Frontline Workers otherwise known as Barangay Nutrition Scholars were capacitated to assist the Barangay Nutrition Committee in the management, coordination, implementation and monitoring and evaluation of the barangay nutrition programs. A total of 30 newly appointed and existing Barangay Nutrition Scholars from 30 Barangays of Municipality of Malita, Davao Occidental undergone a 4-day Training on Basic Course for Barangay Nutrition Scholars last March 3 to 6, 2020 at Jill’s Garden, Malita, Davao Occidental.
Mr. Abdul Rahman M. Yahya reiterated during his Message that the Local Government Unit of Malita through the Local Nutrition Committee Chaired by Mayor Bradley Bautista invested on this training to equip the newly appointed BNS frontline workers with skills and knowledge to become efficient and effective in the coordination, delivery and implementation of basic nutrition and health service interventions in their respective barangays. Each BNS participant were provided with a BNS kits containing a BNS handbook, BNS shirt, and some reference materials. Further, he stressed that the BNSs role in the implementation of nutrition program in the locality is vital to uplift the nutrition condition of the vulnerable group considering that cases of stunting and wasting is notably high in the locality. He added that through the BNS training they will be guided on the basic roles of a BNS from data generation through OPT Plus using the electronic OPT Plus tool; follow up monitoring of wasted, stunted and underweight preschool children through growth monitoring; campaign on the importance of breastfeeding and timely and appropriate complementary feeding; referral of cases of undernourished children, pregnant women and lactating mothers, among others. Furthermore, he concluded that the BNSs should work closely with other frontline workers in the community to carry out other functions for the delivery of other health and nutrition services e.g. Dietary Supplementation Program for pregnant women considering that the LGU of Malita is one of the ECCD-F1K areas in the province.
The focus of the Barangay Nutrition Scholar Training includes the conduct of nutrition assessment through nutrition situational analysis, OPT Plus administration, processing, consolidation and analysis, problem tree formulation, spot mapping; formulation of a Barangay Nutrition Action Plan and Barangay Nutrition Scholar Action Plan; nutrition advocacy; nutrition program monitoring and evaluation. They were also oriented on how to use the electronic OPT Plus tools and the different nutrition forms for reporting. The 4-day training, mentoring and coaching was facilitated by Retsebeth M. Laquihon, Nutrition Officer III of National Nutrition Council XI and Ms. Donna Gay Unos, Provincial Nutrition Coordinator of Davao Occidental. On the last day of the BNS training a brief orientation and overview on ECCD-F1K Program was also conducted particularly highlights on Idol ko si Nanay and the Developmental Milestones Monitoring which was facilitated by Pyke Raphael Matus, ECCD-F1K Provincial Nutrition Coordinator for Davao Occidental.
The capacitated and empowered BNSs equipped with basic skills and knowledge in collaborating, coordinating, implementing and monitoring the barangay nutrition program will be a channel for a responsive and nutrition-oriented barangay governance. (RML/NPC MTLU/NNC XI).
