Barangay health workers and nutrition scholars must be given permanent positions to ensure the continuity of the crucial services they render in their communities.

This is what Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benhur Abalos wanted as he reiterated his call for the regularization of at least one health worker and nutrition scholar in every barangay.

“Ako, I’m really batting na magkaroon ng barangay health worker at barangay nutrition scholar kasi talagang alam na nila (ang dapat gawin). Ako, I am pushing na sana mag-iwan ng isang regular (permanent BHW, nutrition scholar),” Abalos said.

The DILG chief issued the statement during the pre-awarding press conference for the 2023 National Nutrition Awarding Ceremony panel together with Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Teodoro J. Herbosa and National Nutrition Council (NNC) Executive Director, Dr. Azucena M. Dayanghirang, at the Manila Hotel.

Under the current set-up, barangay health workers and nutrition scholars are coterminous with the barangay officials who hired them.

They are forced to resign after three years, once the new set of officials assumed their posts, disrupting and greatly affecting ongoing health and nutrition community programs and projects.

To recall, he previously urged newly-elected barangay officials to retain the services of barangay personnel especially health workers, nutrition scholars, and tanods, to ensure continuity of ongoing programs and projects.

As an advocate of health and nutrition even during his term as mayor of Mandaluyong City, Abalos said health workers and nutrition scholars play crucial role in the implementation of critical health and nutrition programs at the grassroots level.

Abalos noted that one of the factors for the scarcity of barangay health workers and nutrition scholars was that most barangays lacked sufficient funds for the said positions.

He added that there are even barangays where one person performs both functions of the BHW and nutrition scholar.

“Importante ang barangay nutrition scholars at BHWs, sila ang magtatrabaho [sa mga pamayanan]. Sa amin [Mandaluyong City], malaki ang tulong nila sa komunidad,” he said.

During his term as mayor, Mandaluyong City received the Nutrition Honor Award – the highest award conferred by the National Nutrition Council (NNC) to a local government unit that has consistently achieved the CROWN or the Consistent Regional Outstanding Winner in Nutrition Award.

The National Nutrition Awards is an annual event spearheaded by the NNC that recognizes outstanding local government units (LGUs) and Local Nutrition Focal Points (LNFPs) who effectively implemented nutrition programs resulting in improved nutrition situations within their localities.

Meanwhile, Abalos enjoined all awardees of the National Nutrition Awards to share their best practices with other local government units in tackling the problem of growth stunting, hunger, and malnutrition in the country.