There is a saying that it takes a village to raise a child. And this is precisely what Malabon City is doing with the help and cooperation of its dedicated Nutrition Committees and Barangay Nutrition Scholars.
Named the “Most Innovative LGU in Nutrition Program Management” during the 2021 Gawad Parangal by the National Nutrition Council, Malabon City continues to implement innovative and timely health programs to combat malnutrition in the city.
Despite the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic, Barangay Nutrition Scholars and Nutrition Committees pushed on with their work.
“The past two years have been particularly tough for us because of the pandemic. We are used to doing our work face-to-face. Today, we have limited access because we must follow the proper protocols. But even with these challenges, we worked hard and made sure to use various resources to reach those who need our help,” said Lizel, a Barangay Nutrition Scholar from Brgy. Niugan.
Through Facebook Messenger and Zoom, the Barangay Nutrition Scholars conducted e-learning lessons about nutrition.
Agustina, a Barangay Nutrition Scholar from Brgy. Potrero, said: “We are dedicated and passionate in what we do.”
“Our work is difficult, but it does not compare to the joy and satisfaction we feel knowing that we have helped a child or a mother who desperately needed help,” added Nancy Mendoza, the 2019 Regional Outstanding Barangay Nutrition Scholar Finalist.
Programs like “Operation Timbang Plus” include monitoring the weight and height of the children to identify who are malnourished, stunted, and wasted. Barangay Nutrition Scholars also give micronutrients supplements such as Vitamin A to those who are in need.
Barangay Nutrition Scholars then enroll the children in programs such as Karinderia para sa Kalusugan ni Chikiting at Buntis (KKC), a 90- to 120-day feeding program to effectively help every malnourished Malabonians. The scholars also weigh the children every month and visit them for other assistance.
To maximize what the Barangay Nutrition Scholars can do to reduce the community’s malnutrition rate, the city government devised an awarding system to recognize the most innovative and effective programs executed by each barangay in Malabon City.
“The intensity of success and impact of the programs they developed is the basis of awarding of distinction per barangay,” said Fidel Baltazar Dela Cruz, 2019 Local Nutrition Program Coordinator of the Year Finalist.