It was brought to the attention of the Professional Regulatory board of Nutrition and Dietetics (BoND) that there are several Nutrition course offerings which are being advertised in social media channels such as Facebook. These short-term online courses are being offered and made available to anyone through online platforms under flexible learning schedules and arrangements. Those who have completed the online courses are eligible to become accredited or certified “Nutritionists”. 

In the Philippines, Nutrition and Dietetics is recognized as a regulated profession by virtue of Republic Act (RA) No. 10862, otherwise known as the “Nutrition and Dietetics Law of 2016”. In order to lawfully practice the profession in the country, one must be registered and licensed as a Nutritionist-Dietitian by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) and the BoND. Meanwhile, the academic requirement for licensure is the completion of the Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics which is a four-year degree program regulated by the Commission in Higher Education (CHED).

The BoND wishes to inform the public that the conferment of the professional title “Nutritionist” is subject to full compliance with the licensing requirements of RA No. 10862.  These includes completing the BS in Nutrition and Dietetics and passing the Licensure Examination for Nutritionist and Dietitians given by the PRC and the BoND. Mere completion of a short-term nutrition course is not enough to lawfully confer the “Nutritionist” title or status, let alone, without the corresponding license as “Nutritionist-Dietitian”. To reiterate, the use of the title “Nutritionist-Dietitian” without the requisite license from the PRC and the BoND is punishable under the law.

The Board hereby urge the public to be more circumspect in availing these kinds of course offerings. While the BoND supports the need to raise public awareness on nutrition thru online course offerings, the conduct of such activities must, at all times, be consistent with the applicable legal prescriptions and regulations, particularly on the conferment and use of professional titles.

For further information on this, the BoND may be reached through telephone number or e-mail address: prb_nutridiet@prc.gov.ph.