Training on fund raising conducted

As part of the resource generation and sustainability program of the Visayas Primary Health Care Services, Inc., a series of staff development seminars on fund raising was conducted by the VPHCS with the support of the Asmae-Association Soeur Emmanuelle, a French non-government organization.

Ms. Lani Bayron, fund raising specialist contracted by Asmae, conducted the third series of trainings on fund raising for the staff on May 25- 28, 2010. She elaborated the concepts of program marketing as exemplified in the VPHCS training center Balay Kahimsog. Ms. Bayron assisted the VPHCS staff in formulating a marketing plan for the training center located in Barangay Cambanac, Baclayon, Bohol.

During the seminar, Ms. Bayron further discussed about project development and management.



The fund raising mission supported by Asmae aims to enhance the capacities of the VPHCS to raise funds particularly by developing its understanding of the different sources of funds, providing supportive mechanisms to enable its fundraising team to become more effective in searching for and responding to fundraising opportunities, and supporting the fundraising team of VPHCS in the creation and improvement of adapted fundraising methods and tools.

The first seminar of the VPHCS staff was conducted in January 2010 followed by the second one in April 2010. A seminar on fund raising was also conducted for 15 partners of Asmae in the Philippines in March 2010 in Makati City.

Asmae currently has a partnership with the VPHCS, implementing a project “Promotion of Environmental Health and Child Nutrition in Community-based Health Programs in Cebu” in three communities in Cebu. Another component of the project is the enhancement of the fund raising capacity of the VPHCS in relation with its resource generation and sustainability program.

Homeopathy seminar conducted

As part of the continuing education on alternative medicine for the staff of the Visayas Primary Health Care Services, Inc. a training on homeopathy was conducted by renowned German homeopath Dr. Norbert Enders in May 2010.

It was the third series of trainings conducted by Dr.Enders, a member of the Solidarite Homeopathie based in France where he currently resides. The first was done in December 2008 followed by August 2009.

In such trainings, Dr. Enders taught the staff the basic concepts and principles of homeopathy through lectures and actual cases of patients. Various homeopathic remedies and how they are effective were explained thoroughly by Dr. Enders. Documentation of patients before they received and after they received treatment was done as part of the teaching process.





Dr. Enders together with staff members also held clinics for indigent patients in Barangay Pasil and Sitio Mary Grace in Talamban as part of the training process.

Members of the staff of the VPHCS are currently practicing homeopathy. Remedies brought by Dr. Enders from his organization are available in the VPHCS office.

New partnership with Asian Community Trust

The Visayas Primary Health Care Services, Inc. (VPHCS) has forged a partnership with the Asian Community Trust (ACT) to implement the project, “Building community-based health programs to promote health and prevent disease in Bohol.”

The project areas are Barangay Sto. Nino in the Municipality of San Miguel and Barangay Caluasan in the Municipality of Dagohoy. The communities have been affected by the failure of the Malinao Dam Project which has worsened their economic situation that in turn affected their health conditions. The project which started in April 2010 works with the people’s organizations in the communities, namely, the MALALA or the Mag-Uuma sa LACALSANDA Batok sa Land Levelling (Farmers in Lacalsanda against Land Leveling), the San Miguel Organic Farmers Association and the Dagohoy Farmers’ Association.

The project shall equip community health workers (CHWs) and leaders of the people’s organizations with knowledge and skills to build community based health programs which shall address the common health problems in their communities. Capacity building is a primary strategy in the project which will enable the CHWs and the leaders to launch health campaigns that will address the prevalence of common preventable and communicable diseases. Direct health services by project staff and volunteer health professionals shall also address the diseases in the communities.

The Asian Community Trust (ACT), Japan's first fund raising-style charitable trust, was established in 1979 to assist people at the grass-roots level in Asian developing countries. It has supported projects in more than five Asian countries, in fields spanning health, medical treatment, education, youth training, and development of rural communities.

Operation tuli missions conducted

Nearly 500 boys were circumcised by staff and volunteers of the Visayas Primary Health Care Services, Inc. (VPHCS) and other groups in three separate operation tuli missions this April.

The first operation tuli was held in Poblacion Baclayon, Bohol on April 22, sponsored by the VPHCS, the local government unit of the Municipality of Baclayon, the Students Alliance for Community Health Services (SACHS) in Bohol, and the Kabataan Party List. More than 180 boys from Baclayon availed of the services.



The second operation tuli was held in Barangay Bolinawan, Carcar City on April 24, held in coordination with the Total Outreach for Community Health (TORCH) of the Cebu Institute of Medicine (CIM), the Cebu Relief and Rehabilitation Center, Inc. (CRRC) and the local government unit of Carcar City. About 220 boys from Barangays Valencia, Buenavista , Calidngan and Bolinawan were circumcised by students and alumni of the CIM who are members of the TORCH.



The third operation tuli was held in the rural barangay of Mahagbu in the Municipality of Trinidad, Bohol on April 26. Youth from Trinidad together with staff members of the VPHCS served more than 60 boys. Blood sugar testing was also done.

VPHCS promotes community health awareness and involvement among students

The Visayas Primary Health Care Services, Inc. (VPHCS) has recently tapped more nursing and medical students in Cebu and Bohol in its continuing effort to involve health students in its community-based health programs and outreach medical missions.

In Cebu, the VPHCS has facilitated the formation of the Students for Health Advocacy, Response and Empowerment (SHARE), an organization of medical and health allied students committed to serve the communities. In Bohol, the Students Alliance for Community Health Services (SACHS) composed of nursing students in Tagbilaran City has continued to join VPHCS in its outreach medical missions.

SHARE Batch 2012- USPF Chapter was formed in March 25, 2010 after 25 students who were given an orientation of SHARE showed interest to pursue its objectives. An election of officers of the chapter was also conducted. Its first activity was a community outreach program in Sitio Back of Matimco, Subangdako, Mandaue City last April 9, 2010. Fifteen members of the chapter gave a health education class on hand washing to 30 children who were beneficiaries of the ongoing feeding program in the sitio. The students also took the blood pressure of the residents.

In Bohol, SACHS members recently joined an operation tuli sponsored by the VPHCS and the local government unit of Baclayon on April 22.

Medical and dental mission conducted in Barili

More than 150 patients were served in a medical and dental mission conducted in Barangay Gunting, Barili on April 24, 2010. The activity was sponsored by the Farmers Development Center (FARDEC) and supported by the Visayas Primary Health Care Services, Inc. (VPHCS), the Visayas Climate Action Network, the Community Empowerment Resource Network (CERNET), the local government unit of Barili, and German Doctors of Cagayan de Oro City.

Medical check-up, dental services and free dispensing of medicines were rendered by staff members and volunteer doctors and nurses of the VPHCS.

A survey of the health conditions in the barangay using a questionnaire was also conducted among selected patients during the mission. Results of the survey shall be collated by the VPHCS staff and disseminated to the barangay residents for action.