Ms. Alma L. Rico, BNS, San Vicente, Alaminos City – Her strong desire to improve the delivery of health services in her barangay is what spurred Ms. Alma L. Rico to apply as a Community Health Volunteer. She has been a Barangay Nutrition Scholar for four (4) years now and has since committed not only to improve herself but also to help their constituents.

As the BNS, she takes charge of the implementation of all nutrition activities in their Barangay which includes the annual Operation Timbang Plus (OPT+), monthly growth monitoring, and mothers’ classes. Aside from the regular programs, she also oversees various Barangay initiative activities on health and nutrition such as distribution of Seedlings, cooking demos, Zumba sessions for mothers, and monthly prenatal check-up.

She has also made it her mission to deliver health and nutrition services even in distant areas of their community. One of the challenges she had to observe in their barangay is that households in far-flung areas of their barangay cannot always access the services in the Barangay; thus, she conducted activities that increase the accessibility of nutrition and health services. She brought the mothers’ classes in the different puroks in their Barangay to ensure participation of mothers and caregivers, and she conducts house-to-house visits to pregnant women to inform them of all upcoming activities for them.

Public service has made her life more meaningful. Although her dedication as a public servant has been tested many times, as far as even having to bring her baby in training, she has pushed through it all with her passion for service and with the help of her colleagues in the Barangay. Despite the challenges she had encountered, she is thankful for the opportunity to learn more, and help other people and her own family.

Being a BNS and at the same time a full-time mother is not an easy feat but with the help of her fellow BNS, colleagues in the Barangay, and supervisors in the Nutrition office she can improve her knowledge and deliver quality nutrition service in their Barangay. Her passion, hard work, and perseverance are the key to her success in becoming the Most Outstanding BNS in Alaminos City.