Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No.__2918 _

Introduced by Hon. Giorgidi B. Aggabao

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Presidential Decree No. 1569 created the Barangay Nutrition
Scholars Program (BNSP) by providing at least one (1) Barangay Nutrition
Scholar in every barangay. The BNSP provides every barangay with
trained community workers to deliver basic nutrition and related health
services through our Barangay Nutrition Scholars, particularly in far-
flung barangays where health services and awareness in the importance
of good nutrition may not be readily available.

Since the creation of the BNSP in 1978, there has been a
significant improvement in the community awareness of the link between
health and nutrition and this accounts for the reduction of malnutrition
in our country. This achievement is basically attributable to our
hardworking Barangay Nutrition Scholars who perform their tasks
despite meager allowance and no benefit of security of tenure.

It is high time that we recognize the role of our Barangay Nutrition
Scholars by providing them with benefits and sufficient monetary
allowance and incentives,

Hence, approval of this bill is earnestly sought.

GIORGIDI B. Ai AO


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No, __2918

Introduced by Hon. Giorgidi B. Aggabao

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

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

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

SEC 2. Declaration of Policy - The State shall adopt the Barangay
Nutrition Scholar (BNS) 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).

SEC 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:

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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

6. At least eighteen (18) years old but not more than sixty (60) years
old

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

SEC 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.

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

SEC 7. Basic Tasks - The Barangay Nutrition Scholar/s 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

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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.

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

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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 child-
rearing 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.

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SEC 8. Benefits, Privileges and Incentives - The _ Barangay
Nutrition Scholars shall enjoy the following benefits, privileges and
incentives but not limited to those listed below:

a.

The Barangay Nutrition Scholar 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.

. The Barangay Nutrition Scholar 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).

. 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.

. The BNS shall be entitled to a hazard pay of at least Five

Hundred Pesos ( P500.00) monthly.

. In addition thereto, the local government unit may grant

monetary allowance to a BNS as additional incentive .

‘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 BNSs 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.

SEC 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.

SEC 10.

Working Hours and Related Conditions - The BNS 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.

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SEC 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.

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

SEC 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 non-
government organizations, shall formulate, within one hundred eighty
days (180) from its effectivity, the rules and regulations necessary to
implement this Act.

SEC 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.

SEC 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.

SEC 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.

SEC 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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