oO"
ovre, MOV 19 2018}

Tae; Ep) J

Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
Third Regular Session

$600

House Bill No,

Introduced by DIWA Party-list Representative Pepito M. Pico

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Ensuring that the most basic needs of the people are met should be the priority of the
government, and there are few needs as basic as the need for food. To combat malnutrition in
the country, a multi-pronged approach is needed, and Barangay Nutrition Scholars play an
important role in this fight, serving on the front-lines in their communities, ensuring that
national and local government nutrition policies are implemented at the grassroots level. It is
only fitting then, that they should have rights and benefits concomitant with their importance,
and this bill, a re-filing of House Bill No. 766 filed by former DIWA Party-list Rep.
Emmeline Villar, sets out to codify and promote these rights in the form of a Magna Carta of
Barangay Nutrition Scholars.

PERITO M. PICO
Representatve, DIWA Party-list

Page 1 of 6



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
Third Regular Session

House Bill No,_&600

Introduced by DIWA Party-list Represent:

ive Pepito M. Pico

AN ACT CREATING THE MAGNA CARTA OF BARANGAY NUTRITION
SCHOLARS AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Republic of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:

SECTION 1. Title — This Act shall be known as the “Magna Carta of Barangay
Nutrition Scholars”.

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy — The State shall adopt the Barangay Nutrition
Scholar Program as a human resource development strategy of the Philippine Plan of Action
for Nutrition, which involves the training, deployment and supervision of volunteer workers
called the Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNS). This strategy was mandated with the
promulgation of Presidential Decree No. 1569 on 11 July 1978, which requires the
deployment of one (1) BNS in every barangay and for the National Nutrition Council (NNC)
to administer the program in cooperation with local government units (LGUs).

SECTION 3. Definition and Qualifications — For purposes of this Act, a
“Barangay Nutrition Scholar” (BNS) refers to a trained community worker who links the
community with service providers, with the following qualifications:

1. Bonafide resident of the barangay for at least one (1) year, with ability to speak the
dialect;

2. Possession of leadership potentials and the initiative and willingness to serve the
barangay for at least one (1) year;

3. Willingness to learn, and to teach what he/she has learned to the
barangay people;
4, At least a high school graduate;

Page 2 of 6



5. Physical and mental fitness; and
6. At least eighteen (18) years old but not more than sixty (60) years old.

SECTION 4. Number of Barangay Nutrition Scholar/s. — There should be at least
one (1) BNS in every barangay in the country.

SECTION 5. Security of Tenure/ Accreditation/ Registration — After undergoing
training provided in Section 7 hereof, the BNS shall serve for at least three (3) years with
yearly evaluation by an evaluation team created for that purpose, and after which he/she will
be given a permanent position in the barangay, after obtaining a satisfactory rating for two (2)
consecutive years.

The BNS should be a member of the BNS federation duly registered with the
government and thereby accredited by the NNC.

SECTION 6. Discrimination — The BNS should not in any way be discriminated on
the basis of sex, race, and political affiliation.

SECTION 7. Basic Tasks — The BNS shall perform the following basic tasks:
1. Organize or re-organize the Barangay Nutrition Committee (BNC).

a. Assist the barangay captain in organizing or reactivating the BNC and the
barangay network; and

b. Assist the barangay captain in training purok leaders to assist the BNS.

2. Caring for the malnourished — The BNS identifies, locates underweight children
through a community survey. This survey involves weighing all pre-schoolers and
interviewing mothers to determine how the child is cared for and the resources
available in the family for their participation in nutrition and related interventions.

Based on the results of the annual weighing, the BNS weighs monthly all
underweight and severely underweight pre-schoolers. The BNS also weighs all 0-
24 month-old children to monitor their growth which is most critical at this stage.
The BNS also conducts a quarterly follow-up weighing of children, 25-71 months
old, to the extent possible.

The regular weighing provides the basis for corrective actions which may
include referral to the appropriate service or implementation of nutrition projects,
together with the community.

y

Mobilizing the community.-The BNS moves the community to organize into
network of 20-25 households or into community-based organization working for
the improvement of their nutrition situation.

-

Linkage building.- In the presence of other barangay-based development workers,
the BNS may not necessarily deliver direct nutrition services to the community but
serve as linkage-builder, to ensure that members of the community, especially those
with underweight children, avail of nutrition and related services. The BNS must be
aware of the services available and of those who need these services and establish a

Page 3 of 6



system through which those needing certain services are referred to the appropriate
service provider.

a

Other forms of assistance.- The BNS assists in delivering nutrition and related
services which include:

a, Organizing mother's class or community nutrition education;

b. Providing nutrition counselling services, especially on exclusive breastfeeding
and appropriate complementary feeding, through home visits;

c. Managing community-based feeding programs;

d. Distributing seeds, seedlings and small animals from the local agriculture
office and other government organizations to promote home or community
food gardens; and

e. Informing the community on scheduled immunization and other health
activities in coordination with the local midwife, agriculture officer, social
welfare officer, and other government workers.

cy

. Record Keeping.-To help other barangay workers and the local officials, the BNS
shall keep a record of the results of the regular weighing as well as a record on the
nutrition and health profile of families in the barangay.

7. Action Plan.- The BNS shall formulate a BNS Action Plan as guide in managing
the different tasks assigned to him/her.

*

Training The BNS shall undergo a ten-day didactic training. The training
facilitates the acquisition of knowledge, attitudes and skills needed for the effective
performance of the task of identifying the malnourished, monitoring the
malnourished and referring them to appropriate service providers.

After the didactic phase, the BNS shall undergo a twenty-day practicum to
learn how to weigh pre-schoolers properly and interview mothers on matters which
may relate to their childrearing practices. During this phase, the BNS shall collect
and analyze data on the barangay nutrition situation using the family and barangay
profile forms. He/She shall also formulate the appropriate action plan.

The BNS trainer-supervisor or the District/City Nutrition Program Coordinator
(D/CNPC) shall organize, conduct, and supervise the training. In the absence of the
D/CNPC, the nutrition action officer (NAO) shall assume these responsibilities.

9. Continuing education.-To reinforce skills during the formal training, the BNS shall
attend monthly meetings during which the D/CNPC or NAO shall provide more
information to update their knowledge and skills. The D/CNPC or NAO shall
conduct regular visits to observe and encourage the BNS to perform their tasks
correctly and effectively.

10. Coordination.-The BNS shall facilitate the formulation, implementation,
monitoring, evaluation, and coordination of the Barangay Plan of Action for
Nutrition.

Page 4 of 6


SECTION 8. Benefits, Privileges and Incentives - The BNS shall enjoy the
following benefits, privileges and incentives but not limited to those listed below:

a) The BNS shall be granted a civil service eligibility equivalent to second grade after
the completion of at least two (2) years of continuous and satisfactory service in the
barangay. The BNS can avail of this second grade civil service eligibility by filing
the proper application with the regional office of the Civil Service Commission.

b) The BNS shall be entitled to a monthly allowance of at least Two Thousand Pesos
(P2,000.00) , a yearly uniform or clothing allowance in the amount of Two
Thousand Pesos ( P2,000.00) and a yearly training stipend, kit and travel allowance
of at least One Thousand Pesos (P1,000.00).

c) The BNS shall be entitled to benefits accorded to regular government employees
such as PhilHealth, Pag-Ibig and similar benefits under the Indigent Program of the
local government unit.

4) The BNS shall be entitled to a hazard pay of at least Five Hundred Pesos (P500.00)
monthly.

e) In addition thereto, the local government unit may grant monetary allowance to a
BNS as additional incentive.

f) The NNC, in coordination with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and
the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, shall formulate a
scholarship program where incumbent and deserving BNS shall be given the
opportunity to avail of a scholarship grant in any institution offering a two-year
course. In the case of a BNS aged 50 and above, he/she has the option to assign the
scholarship grant to any of his children.

SECTION 9. Code of Morality and Conduct ~ While in the service, a BNS shall at
all times maintain good moral character and should not be involved in any crime and
administrative cases, as well as any political activities, which would be grounds for dismissal.

SECTION 10. Working Hours and Related Conditions - The BNSs shall render at
least eight (8) hours of work a day to deliver nutrition services and on Saturdays and Sundays,
they should be on-call as the need arises.

SECTION 11. Supervisory Functions/Roles of the National Nutrition Council. -
The NNC shall provide continuing education through trainings, and the like and give
recognition based on evaluation system and provide technical assistance to the BNS
Federations to ensure their functionality.

SECTION 12. Rights to Organize — The BNSs have the right to organize but should
maintain political neutrality.

SECTION 13. Rules and Regulations — The Department of Health in cooperation
with the National Nutrition Council, National BNS Federation, Inc. and other concerned
government agencies and nongovernment organizations, shall formulate, within one hundred
eighty days (180) from its effectivity, the rules and regulations necessary to implement this
Act.

Page 5 of 6



SECTION 14. Appropriation. ~ The amount necessary for the initial implementation
of this Act shall be appropriated out of the budget of the National Nutrition Council under the
Department of Health. Thereafter, such amount as may be necessary shall be incorporated in
the General Appropriations Act.

SECTION 15. Separability Clause ~ If any provision of this Act is declared invalid,
the remainder of any provision hereof not affected thereby shall remain in force and effect.

SECTION 16. Repealing Clause - All laws, decrees, executive orders, and other
presidential issuances which are inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed, amended or
modified accordingly.

SECTION 17. Effectivity — This Act shall take effect fifteen days (15) after its
publication in at least two (2) national newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,

Page 6 of 6