The City Health Ofice (CHO) Nutrition Division, during the 49th Nutrition Month Culmination held on Monday at the Rizal Park, named the city’s Top 1 outstanding Barangay Nutrition Scholar and Top 1 Outstanding District Nutrition Program Coordinator – in appreciation of their unwavering support and active involvement in the nutrition program implementation.
Ms. Mary Jineveh O. Binasig, a BNS from Barangay Mintal Tugbok District Davao City was named as Top 1 Outstanding Barangay Nutrition Scholar while Ms. Sharon Joan R. Dugan, RN- Nutrition Officer II of Baguio District Davao City- was the Top 1 Oustanding District Nutrition Program Coordinator
Binasig, in an interview with the City Information Office, said that the best practices of their barangay include the promotion of the nutritional status of children and maintaining their good health.
“Naga-promote mi sa immunization weekly and at the same time pre-natal because ang prenatal and NIP sa bata importante para sa community para magbaton og healthy living (We promote immunization weekly and at the same time, pre-natal, because the prenatal and National Immunization Program (NIP) for the children is important for the community to have healthy living),” Binasig said, adding that is it is their wish that the number of stunted children will decrease. As an added measure, they also conduct feeding with the support of the barangay.
Also recognized as second place for Outstanding BNS is Ms. Nimfa P. Tamayo from Barangay Malabog, Paquibato District, and in third place was Ms. Lily Rose A. Diva from Barangay 23 District D, Poblacion, Davao City.
Dugan, on the other hand, said that on behalf of her district, she is very thankful for the recognition and attributed it to the active barangay nutrition committee of the district composed of eight barangays.
“In full support sila sa nutrition programs, ang mga barangay nutrition scholars ang among doctors and tanang kauban nako sa health centers nagasuporta sila sa kanunay sa nutrition program nato (They are are in full support of the nutrition programs, the barangay nutrition scholars, the doctors and all those in the health centers, they always support our nutrition programs),” Dugan said. Their best practices, she said, include promoting good nutrition through visitations by purok and also dissemination of good nutrition information on these sites.
She also said that it is their vision to make their district malnourish-free and the steps they are doing now include prioritizing severely wasted children.
Also recognized as second place for the Oustanding District Nutrition Program Coordinator is Ms. Glenda S. Franciso, RND from Agdao District, and in third place, Ms. Marilyn M. Realista, RND from District-D Poblacion, Davao City.
“This [awarding] is to enhance the performance of our BNS, as well as our nutrition officers and dietitians, these are for their 2022 efforts,” Davao City Health Office Nutrition Division Head Elizabeth Banzon said. She said that they are already starting the search for awardees for the same categories for the year 2023.
Banzon said that it was the City Nutrition Council that evaluated the documents and programs and activities that the awardees have conducted for nutrition in their barangays and district. She said that as Nutrition Head, she inhibited from the panel of evaluators.
Banzon said she is thankful to the private partners and government stakeholders and that they will continue to have linkages with partner government and non-government agencies to promote the city’s nutrition programs.
Davao City, according to Banzon, has 500 BNS and the majority of them receive a PhP 6,000 monthly honorarium from the city government. The remaining BNS are barangay-paid.
Banzon said that 50 more BNS is slated to be hired by next year.
The nutrition culmination program was attended by BNS from all over the city. It was also graced by Dr. Ma. Teresa Ungson, the Regional Nutrition Program Coordinator of the National Nutrition Council XI, and Davao City Councilor Trisha Ann Jasmin Villafuerte. CIO
