| a REPRESENTATIVES
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Republic of the Philippines |
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Dav=: 39 UN ail

Quezon City, Metro Manila) =.

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SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS BY.
First Regular Session |

fe REGISTRATION UNIT:
766 ras ano INoex SERVICE

House Bill No. _

Introduced by DIWA Party-list Representative Emmeline Y. Aglipay - Villar

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 ‘ole 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 concot

int with theit

portance,

and this bill, a re-filing of House Bill No. 2918 filed by Rep. Giorgidi B, Aggabao last 16"
Congress, sets out to codify and promote these rights in the form of a Magna Carta of
Barangay Nutrition Scholars.

Aarvcsins H. Kutlan
EMMELINE Y. AGLIPAY ~ VILLAR
Representative, DIWA Patty-list

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

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No,_766

Introduced by DIWA Party-list Representative Emmeline Y. Aglipay — Villar

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 I1 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;

5. Physical and mental fitness; and

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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.

3. 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,

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

5. 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.

6, 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.

8. 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

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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.

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 (P 1,000.00).

¢) 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.

d) The BNS shall be entitled to a hazard pay of at least Five Hundred Pesos (500.00)
monthly.

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

1) 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.

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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.

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,

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