MAASIN CITY-Eastern Visayas’ Outstanding Barangay Nutrition Scholar (BNS) Rosita Acsibar from Barangay Pansaan, this city, landed 3rd place in the recently concluded search for National Outstanding BNS (NOBNS) held in Manila.
After winning in the regional search early this year, Acsibar competed with 12 other nominees in the national search where she bagged the third spot of the prestigious NOBNS awards conducted by the National Nutrition Council.
“I’ve never dreamed to get a national award. I only desired to get the Regional Outstanding Barangay Nutrition Scholar award,” Acsibar said as she beamed with pride.
Acsibar serves faithfully as BNS for 13 years now in Brgy. Pansaan, a remote and hard-to-reach community. She was appointed as BNS on Sept. 15, 2006.
“This is the first time that Region 8 won a national outstanding BNS award,” said Dr. Catalino Dotollo Jr., regional head of the National Nutrition Council in Eastern Visayas.
Acsibar reported that all the 37 pre-school children in their community are healthy.
Zero malnutrition incidence among children 0-59 months old in 2018 is one of Acsibar’s greatest accomplishments for working hard as barangay nutrition scholar.
Ascibar was also able to present complete documents to the national evaluators coming from Manila such as the monthly minutes of the Barangay Nutrition Council meetings, and how she address issues and concerns during program implementation, among others.
Acsibar also initiated good practices such as the establishment of income generating projects wherein the income is used for the production of flyers on good nutrition practices distributed to parents and children.
The Local Nutrition Council, through a barangay nutrition council resolution, was able to partner with local entrepreneurs engaging in tuba-making, anthorium flowers-cutting and dansalan rootcrops farmers to donate some amount from their sales, she added.
“Each group have their respective donation boxes placed at the barangay nutrition center,” she added.
In addition, the barangay Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries also agreed to set aside some amount from their sales in egg production and put into the donation box at the Center, she said.
Looking forward, BNS Acsibar said “I will continue to implement diligently the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) for Barangay Pansaan.”
In the offing, the local Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) beneficiaries who are engaged in selling rice, will soon join in the sinking fund project, Acsibar said.
Acsibar also plans to help in the elimination of malnutrition problem among the school children of Pansaan Multigrade School with 6 out of 40 school children identified as malnourished.
The barangay nutrition council will work hand in hand with the school head and parents in the establishment of Gulayan sa Paaralan program, she added.
The City Nutrition Committee, through the active guidance of the City Health Services Office headed by Dr. Francilisa Tan, is closely monitoring the activities of all the barangay nutrition scholars in the city.
The city of Maasin has been acclaimed a hall of fame awardee for achieving excellent nutrition programs implementation in the city.
(LDL/ESG/PIA-8, Southern Leyte)
