‘Updated nutrition tool to help Kalinga spot, track undernourished children’ - OPHO during training over 30 Barangay Nutrition Scholars

TABUK CITY, Kalinga — Kalinga is strengthening its monitoring of child nutrition as 33 Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNS) and health workers were oriented on the updated Electronic Operation Timbang Plus (e-OPT Plus) Tool on September 15.

The orientation, organized by the Office of the Provincial Health Officer (OPHO) through the Provincial Nutrition Committee, was held at Davidson Hotel in Bulanao, Tabuk City.

The activity aimed to familiarize BNS and health workers with the updated e-OPT Plus Tool and its improved features for recording, assessing and monitoring the nutritional status of children aged 0 to 59 months.

The e-OPT Plus is a Microsoft Excel-based tool used by community health workers to record children’s ages, weights and heights and determine their nutritional status based on their measurements.

The tool can also consolidate nutrition data at the barangay, municipal and provincial levels and generate lists of children identified as undernourished, allowing health workers to prioritize them for appropriate nutrition interventions, feeding programs and medical follow-up.

During his welcome remarks, Provincial Health Officer I Dr. Edward Tandingan emphasized the importance of continuously improving the work of BNS and health workers, particularly in monitoring the nutritional status of children.

Tandingan said improving existing practices can contribute to better health outcomes in communities.

“Ti i-emphasize ko dituy, dati nga ar-aramiden, you do it well but we can do it better, all for the sake of our children. Dagiti sumarunu kanya tayo, because we need to ensure good nutrition so that they can achieve better health,” Tandingan said.

He also urged the participants not to underestimate the importance of their responsibilities, noting that consistent efforts at the community level can contribute to broader improvements in Kalinga.

Tandingan said the impact of their work may not always be immediately visible but can contribute to long-term improvements in the health and well-being of communities.

“I hope you do not find your work or your task too heavy,” he said, emphasizing that even small efforts can produce a bigger impact when carried out consistently.

“Do not consider your task small because when you put many small things together it becomes big,” he added.

The orientation forms part of the province’s continuing efforts to strengthen community-level nutrition monitoring and ensure that children who may be undernourished are identified and referred for appropriate interventions.