UPV, San Dionisio team up for healthier barangays

SAN DIONISIO, Iloilo — The University of the Philippines Visayas College of Arts and Sciences Community Outreach Program-Barangay Integrated Development Approach for Nutrition Improvement is expanding its nutrition-in-development initiatives through a partnership with the municipality of San Dionisio, Iloilo.

The partnership was formalized ahead of the Municipal Technical Action Committee Training scheduled for June 15–16, 2026.

Through the agreement, municipal leaders and stakeholders aim to strengthen local capacity and promote community-based strategies focused on nutrition, food security, and technical guidance.

BIDANI is a comprehensive nutrition-in-development strategy that uses participatory and community-based approaches to improve nutrition, food security, governance, and local development at the barangay level, according to the BIDANI Network Program.

Preparations are also underway for the Barangay Management Information System Training of Trainers scheduled for June 17–19, 2026.

The BMIS training will support local capacity building among local government and barangay implementers, as well as faculty, research, extension, and professional staff and staff volunteers from UPV CAS.

The initiative also coincides with the deployment of COP-BIDANI’s first student interns from the West Visayas State University College of Communication.

Through its collaboration with WVSU, COP-BIDANI aims to give development communication student interns a platform to immerse themselves in community-based training and gain firsthand experience in grassroots development work.

The students are taking part in an eight-week midyear internship program.

The article was written by WVSU College of Communication student interns Zerenea Pollicar and Gwen Alejandria, with guidance from Prabhat Ranjan B. Ubas of UPV CAS COP-BIDANI.