THE National Nutrition Council (NNC) is pushing for the amendment of the Presidential Decree (PD) 1569 which created the Barangay Nutrition Scholar (BNS) in 1978 to make the volunteers as permanent community workers as well as to strengthen the program towards the attainment of their advocacies.
Joy Luma-ad, LuzViMin BNS Federation, Inc. president, said that they have already initiated several efforts to forward the amendment of PD 1569 that mandated the deployment of one BNS in every barangay to monitor the nutritional status of children and bridge the gap of information to the communities with nutrition service.
“Yearly contract ang BNS, dito sa Davao kung hindi maganda ang trabaho mo as BNS, hindi ka talaga mare-renew so hinakayat talaga ang BNS to please do your job as a good BNS in the community kasi nakalalay sa atin ang nutrition ng mga bata,” Luma-ad said.
Luma-ad said that they have already lobbied it at the Senate down to the Congress and had a signature campaign and were given to the lawmakers.
She added that there were BNS scholars who were not renewed by their barangay officials because of political issues and that is why, with this amendment, they will be retained in their position despite the change of leadership.
On one hand, NNC Assistant Secretary Maria Bernadita Flores said they have been actively pushing for it because of the growing population and expansion of the functions of the BNS.
“Over the years, siyempre nag evolve na ang mga barangay, lumaki na ang population, dumadami ang trabaho nila so nakita na kailanagn i-ammend ang PD 1569 although tama lang na dinedevelop at enexploit natin ang spirit of volunteerism pero kailangan din i-provide sa kanila in return for their service,” Flores said.
The BNS will have a permanent status and will become a community development worker along with the Community Social Workers, BNS and Barangay population supply point officer and other volunteer workers.
Under the PD 1569, BNS assists in delivering nutrition and related services which include the organizing of mothers’ class or community nutrition education, providing nutrition counseling services, especially on exclusive breastfeeding and appropriate complementary feeding, through home visits, managing community-based feeding programs under the supervision of a nutritionist-dietitian.
Aside from that, they help in the distribution of seeds, seedlings, and small animals from the local agriculture office and other government, organizations and nongovernment organizations to promote home or community gardening; and informing the community on scheduled immunization and other health activities but always together with the local midwife, agriculture officer, social welfare officer, and other workers.
To date, there are around 42,000 BNS nationwide where some of them where only receiving P100 to P2,000 as monthly honoraria depending on the financial capacity of the barangay. When this amendment will push through, the BNS will receive a regular salary.