MABALACAT CITY -- The City Nutrition Office (CNO) recently conducted a training program for village health workers.

The two-day Barangay Nutrition Scholar Training for Operation Timbang (OPT) was held Tuesday, January 28, at the Jade Hall of Xevera Mabalacat.

The training aims to equip nutrition scholars with knowledge and skills to perform their duties and responsibilities in their respective barangays.

During the first quarter of the year, nutrition community workers and nutrition program implementers conduct the most critical aspects of local nutrition program implementation, the Operation Timbang Plus or the OPT Plus.

OPT Plus is the annual weighing and height measurement of all preschoolers 0-59 months and children 60-71 months old who are not yet in school and done in communities.

OPT Plus is done to identify and locate the malnourished children for a referral to relevant nutrition and nutrition-related services.

OPT Plus data are also used for local nutrition action planning, particularly in quantifying the prevalence of wasted, stunted, underweight, overweight and obese children who will be prioritized for interventions in the community. Results of the OPT Plus also provide information on the changes in the nutritional status of the preschoolers in the community over a period, thus, providing insights too on the effectiveness of the local nutrition program.

At the national level, the results are used to generate a list of nutritionally-at-risk cities/municipalities that is disseminated to government and non-government organizations and researchers so that these areas are given priority attention in nutrition program planning and intervention.

Present during the training were City Nutrition Action Office Gladys Lingat, RN; Nutrition Program Coordinator for Central Luzon Rose Ann Cuyco; and City Nutrition Program Coordinator Hannah Pasamonte, RN.