EPRES
Se yo
o>

6
. i Zs X

Republic of the Philippines lo "a

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ff RECEIVED <\

Quezon City Z DATE 1] AUG 205

* TIME _§ 00pm f

\e
Wo woes

x3

TWENTIETH (20th) CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILLNO.__ 3500

Introduced by HONORABLE LORETO “AMBEN” S. AMANTE.
Third (3rd) Legislative District, Province of Laguna

AN ACT GRANTING MONTHLY HONORARIUM, CIVIL SERVICE
ELIGIBILITY AND SECURITY OF TENURE TO EVERY BARANGAY
NUTRITION SCHOLAR (BNS), THEREBY AMENDING
PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 1569 ENTITLED
“STRENGTHENING THE BARANGAY NUTRITION PROGRAM BY
PROVIDING FOR A BARANGAY NUTRITION SCHOLAR
IN EVERY BARANGAY, PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR,
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES”

Explanatory Note

For nearly thirty (30) years, the rates of both wasting and stunting in the
Philippines have been nearly flat. For 2019, the rate of stunting among children under
five (5) years of age (28.8%) was only slightly lower than in 2008 (32%)—the
prevalence of underweight in 2019 was 19% and that of wasting was 6%. Based on the
World Health Organization's classification of undernutrition rates, the stunting
prevalence of children in the Philippines is of “very high” public health significance. The
Philippines’ 29% stunting rate places it 5th among countries in the East Asia and Pacific
Region, and among countries the top 10 countries globally. The Philippines’ high levels
of childhood undernutrition can lead to a staggering loss of the country’s human and
economic potential! These data provide evidence of why it is critical that the
government prioritizes tackling this persistent challenge.

Undernutrition is, and has always been, a serious problem in the Philippines.
There are regions with levels of stunting that exceed 40% of the population. In
Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, 45% of children below five (5)
are stunted, in Southwestern Tagalog Region (MIMAROPA) 41%, Bicol! Region has
40%, Western Visayas 40% and in the south-central Mindanao Region
(SOCCKSARGEN) 40%.2

Good nutrition is a foundation for economic prosperity, and investments in
nutrition are highly cost-effective. The key determinants of undernutrition are multi-

2 https:/Awww.worldbank.org/en/country/philippines/publication/-key-findings-undernutrition-in-the-
philippines;


sectoral. At the immediate level, a child becomes undernourished because of
inadequate or inappropriate food, health and care.3

While the Government, at present, has the National Nutrition Council (NNC)
which is categorically mandated by law to act as the country’s highest policy-making
and coordinating body on nutrition, the same admits that it requires collaboration in
creating and recreating ideas, i.e., seeking unity and totality of approach toward
nutritional adequacy among Filipinos.

And aimed to strengthen the nutrition program at the barangay level, Presidential
Decree No. 1569 was enacted and initiated the appointment of a Barangay Nutrition
Scholar (BNS) for every barangay in the country. The Barangay Nutrition Scholar (BNS),
aside from possessing certain qualifications prescribed by law, is a trained barangay
worker, with nominal stipend and other allowances in return for their crucial role in
barangay to deliver nutrition services and other community health programs.

Prescinding from these perspectives, it is undoubtedly imperative that the BNS
should have an unhampered, continued and apolitical position in the community if and
when the Government aspires to publicly convey its vigorous efforts to advance
successful nutrition intervention schemes in the entire country. And as a pressing step
towards attaining the mentioned objective, it is highly essential that the BNS must be
accorded with the right to receive Honorarium, Civil Service Eligibility and fully enjoy
a Security of Tenure, among others.

This Bill thus seeks to grant the BNS of such enumerated rights as a compelling
reason for them to be an effective and efficient instrument to alleviate the various
malnutrition predicaments in the country.

IN. LORETO S. AMANTE

3 Ibid,



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

TWENTIETH (20th) CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. ._3500

Introduced by HONORABLE LORETO “AMBEN” S. AMANTE
Third (3rd) Legislative District, Province of Laguna

AN ACT GRANTING MONTHLY HONORARIUM, CIVIL SERVICE
ELIGIBILITY AND SECURITY OF TENURE TO EVERY BARANGAY
NUTRITION SCHOLAR (BNS), THEREBY AMENDING
PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 1569 ENTITLED
“STRENGTHENING THE BARANGAY NUTRITION PROGRAM BY
PROVIDING FOR A BARANGAY NUTRITION SCHOLAR
IN EVERY BARANGAY, PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR,
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES”

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

SECTION 1. Section 2 of Presidential Decree No. 1569 is hereby amended to
read as follows:

“Section 2. Barangay Nutrition Scholar. The barangay nutrition
scholar shall be a barangay based FULL-TIME AND TRAINED
worker responsible for delivering nutrition services and other related
activities such as community health, backyard food production,
environmental sanitation, culture, mental feeding, and family planning
to the barangay.”

SECTION 2. Section 3 of Presidential Decree No. 1569 is hereby amended to read
as follows:

“Section 3. Service. The barangay nutrition scholar, while
continuously learning under this program PURSUANT TO
PERIODIC TRAININGS/SEMINARS TO BE PROVIDED BY
THE NATIONAL NUTRITION COUNCIL, shall serve the
barangay AT LEAST EIGHT (8) HOURS OF WORK A DAY
FROM MONDAYS TO FRIDAYS AND SHALL REMAIN ON-
CALL DURING SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS.”

SECTION 3. Section 4 of Presidential Decree No. 1569 is hereby amended to read
as follows:


“Section 4. Qualification. The qualifications of a Barangay Nutrition

Scholar shall be as follows:

(a) Bonafide residence in the barangay for at least four (4) years,
with ability to speak the dialect;

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

(c) Willingness to learn, and to teach what he has learned to the
barangay people;

(d) Atleast SENIOR HIGH school graduate;

(e) Physical and mental fitness;

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

SECTION 4. Section 6 of Presidential Decree No. 1569 is hereby amended to read
as follows:

“Section 6. Benefits, HONORARIUM AND INCENTIVES. The
barangay nutrition scholar shall be granted a civil service eligibility
equivalent to CSE FIRST (1st) LEVEL after completion of at least
two years of continuous and satisfactory service in the barangay
BASED ON THE FAVORABLE ENDORSEMENT BY THE
CONCERNED SANGGUNIANG BARANGAY, AND SHALL
LIKEWISE RECEIVE A MONTHLY HONORARIUM OF NOT
LESS THAN PhP 600.00. He shall also be entitled to a training
stipend, kit and travel allowance ALLOCATED FOR SUCH
PURPOSE BY THE NATIONAL NUTRITION COUNCIL,
ASIDE FROM THE MONTHLY CASH ALLOWANCE
GRANTED BY THE CONCERNED CITY/MUNICIPAL
GOVERNMENT.”

SECTION 5. A new section denominated as Section 7 of the same Decree is
hereby added to read as follows:

“SECTION 7. SECURITY OF TENURE. CONSEQUENT TO
THE GRANT OF CIVIL SERVICE ELIGIBILITY, THE
BARANGAY NUTRITION SCHOLAR SHALL FULLY ENJOY
HIS RIGHT TO SECURITY OF TENURE. FOR THIS
PURPOSE, NO BARANGAY NUTRITION SCHOLAR SHALL
BE REMOVED FROM POST WITHOUT JUST CAUSE AND
DUE PROCESS IN ACCORDANCE WITH PERTINENT LAWS,
RUELS AND REGULATIONS.”

SECTION 6. Sections 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 of the same Decree are hereby
renumbered as Sections 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15, respectively;

SECTION 7. Section 15 of the same Decree is hereby renumbered as Section 16
and hereby amended to read as follows:


“Section 16. Appropriation. THE AMOUNT NECESSARY FOR
THE INITIAL IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS ACT SHALL BE
CHARGED TO THE CURRENT YEAR’S APPROPRIATION
OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. THEREAFTER, SUCH
AMOUNT AS MAY BE NECESSARY FOR THE EFFECTIVE
IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS ACT SHALL BE INCLUDED IN
THE ANNUAL GENERAL APPROPRIATION ACT. Local
governments are likewise ENJOINED to appropriate such amount
necessary for the successful implementation of this ACT.”

SECTION 8. Separability Clause. If any provision of this Act is declared invalid
or void, the rest of the provisions not affected thereby shall remain in full force and
effect.

SECTION 9. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules or
regulations, and other issuances, or parts thereof, inconsistent with any provision
of this Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly.

SECTION 10. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after
its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least one (1) newspaper of general

circulation.

Approved.