The 28-page document in magazine form chronicles the three projects implemented with the support of Asmae from March 2008 to December 2010 to improve the health and welfare of three urban poor communities in Metro Cebu, namely: Sitio St. Mary Grace in Barangay Talamban, Cebu City, Sitio Back of Matimco in Barangay Subangdaku, Mandaue City, and Sitio Salvage in Barangay Looc, Lapu-lapu City.
The VPHCS also reaped huge gains in terms of organizational strengthening and capability building to pursue its programs and services in a more systematic, effective and efficient manner.
One project evolved into the second and then into the third. The first project, “Capability Building on Community-based Health Programs in Cebu: Community Diagnosis” in March 2008 to August 2008 was followed by the second project “Promotion of Environmental Health and Child Nutrition in Community-based Health Programs in Cebu and Strengthening the Sustainability Aspect of the VPHCS” in April 2009 to December 2009 and the third project, “Strengthening and Sustaining the Community-based Health Programs in Cebu” in January 2010 to December 2010.”
The projects worked in partnership with the people’s organizations, including the St. Mary Grace Neighborhood Association in Barangay Talamban, the Kaming Lumulupyo walay Sandigan (KALUWASAN) in Sitio Back of Matimco, and the Anakpawis – Looc Chapter in Sitio Salvage.
Generally, the whole project is part and parcel of the community-based health programs (CBHP) building endeavors of the VPHCS for the past several years.
Building and strengthening local capacity has become more urgent with the advent of the national and global trend on health which emphasizes user-fee services and privatization of government health service agencies in the face of the people’s worsening poverty that severely incapacitates them to pay for health care.
The community projects have indeed harnessed the people’s initiatives to map out their own plans and programs to improve the health situation in their communities. With such initiatives proven and embedded in their organizations, the CBHPs in the three sitios continue to this day to be pursued vigorously in order to meet the health needs of the people in the face of the increasing cost of health care and economic crisis facing our country. The project outputs – the health centers, the toilets, the services of the health committees and the improved health-seeking behavior and general health situation of the people shall remain as indelible hallmarks of the project in the years to come.
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