BY: MARIA TERESA B. BENAS
BANGUED, Abra, Dec. 3 (PIA) –- Community Health Teams (CHTs) in six municipalities in the province participated in a convention to capacitate the health care service providers to be able to deliver fast and reliable health services.
This convention was part of the implementation scheme of the Maternal and Child Health Care program being funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in the Cordilleras that aims to contribute to the attainment of the national government’s goal of providing access to Kalusugang Pangkalahatan (Universal Healthcare),
The program, a tripartite initiative between the JICA, the Department of Health – Center for Health Development (DOH-CHD) and the local government units (LGUs), aims to attain a zero mortality by delivering only in the birthing facilities.
The LGU of Penarrubia under Mayor Geraldine M. Balbuena hosted first round of the CHT Convention on November 20. This was participated by the community health service providers of the municipality and those from two other member-municipalities of the Inter-Local Health Zones (ILHZ) of Villaviciosa led by Mayor Marjorie Laguen-Montalbo and that of Pilar led by Mayor Josefina Jaja S. Disono.
The 2nd round of the CHT Convention was held at the Dolores Civic Center in Dolores last November 22 also with the participation of the community health workers coming from the other two member-municipalities of the ILHZ, Lagangilang headed by Mayor Patrocinio B. Abaya and San Juan headed by Mayor Marco M. Bautista.
Dr. Amelita Pangilinan, assistant regional director of the DOH-CHD – CAR, commended all the CHT volunteers as their partners in giving health services to remote areas in the province. She commended their spirit of volunteerism and concern for other people’s welfare that is why she assured her support to their request for sufficient trainings and seminars, uniforms, information-education campaign materials, and monetary incentives for their travelling aid and meals .This little assistance would help the CHT volunteers whenever they conduct house visits to educate each family on health risks and preventions as well as offer health services.
All the mayors in the project sites have reiterated their all-out support to the sustainability of the program as they all expressed appreciation to the JICA and the DOH for spearheading the said program.
Dr. Makoto Tobe, chief adviser of the JICA-funded project, led the distribution of the IEC materials and collaterals like bags and t-shirts, flip charts and tarpaulins to the CHTs in the project sites.
JICA had earlier distributed the equipment to the five barangay health stations in the project sites as birthing facilities. These are Brgy. Cayapa in Lagangilang; Brgy. Tamac and Brgy. Callao in Villaviciosa; Brgy. Namarabar in Penarrubia; and Brgy. Dalit in Pilar. (JDP/MTBB/GBB – PIA CAR, Abra)
– See more at: http://news.pia.gov.ph/index.php?article=111385854362#sthash.y6gMBPgy.dpuf
abrenian.com 
Commendable venture but were there assurances that they won’t play favoritism or subjecting it with politics in providing health services?
Posted by balikwat | December 7, 2013, 6:01 pmOnce again, Japan which is not a religious country but worship only their emperor and ancestors is spearheading a gigantic task to uplift human life. 3 decades ago, Japan helped reforestation campaign by providing technical know how by giving training to Pilipinos in Japan, then provided funds to make schools in The Philippines to have a ‘ mini forest’ in the hope that these trees served as mother trees. But how many of us ever try to take advantage of these by planting vacant areas? How many municipal leadership saw the vision of Japan and tried to reforest their area of concerned where are mostly denuded?
ThisJICL PRORAM is really needed by entire Abra. Hopefully, our municipal officials are really interested in supporting it, or else they are looking only again for the funding for the welfare of their friends and close relatives.
Posted by TAGAMASID | December 8, 2013, 5:03 pmJICA is one of the program of Japanese government to indemnify their sins to humanity during world war II. Japanese values includes: hard work, quality conscious, respect, and honor to name a few. They would remorsefully took their life off when their dignity were tarnished. They are non-Christians, but these national values made them looks good in the ayes of God and men. Filipinos were influenced by westernized Christianity, where power, fame, and arrogance is of the essence.
Posted by naeling | December 9, 2013, 7:35 pm