23 April 2019, Cagayan de Oro City – The National Nutrition Council X together with the Regional Evaluation Team (RET) has started this year’s Search for the Regional Outstanding Barangay Nutrition Scholar (ROBNS). This evaluation is conducted to measure the performance of the BNS and recognize those with exemplary performance in the delivery of basic nutrition and nutrition-related services in the barangay.

A yearly activity of the NNC, the RETs composed of inter-agency representatives trained on the new nutrition monitoring and evaluation protocol, MELLPI Pro, and NNC X staff as secretariat conduct the search.

As of this writing, the RET has already evaluated seven (7) BNSs from Bukidnon and Misamis Occidental provinces and cities of Valencia, Malaybalay, Gingoog, Cagayan de Oro and El Salvador. The RET is set to evaluate four (4) more contenders from Camiguin, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Oriental provinces and Tangub City until the first week of June 2019.

Contenders to the Search for ROBNS will be graded based on the findings during the desk review using the MELLPI Pro tool for BNSs, written exam and interview. Results of the radial diagram, major findings and recommendations are then presented to the Punong Barangay, OBNS contender and nutrition staff from the LGU.

All 10 contenders will be ranked by June to determine the BNS who stands at the top of more than 2,000 nutrition volunteers in Region 10. The ROBNS will be likewise endorsed to NNC Central Office as the region’s contender to the national OBNS.

The Barangay Nutrition Scholar (BNS) Program is a human resource development strategy of the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition, which involves the recruitment, training, deployment and supervision of volunteer workers or BNSs. Presidential Decree No. 1569 mandated the deployment of one BNS in every barangay in the country to monitor the nutritional status of children and/or link communities with nutrition and related service providers. PD 1569 also mandated the NNC to administer the program in cooperation with local government units. (NO II Sheena Marie G. Talle)