ACT program officer visits Bohol, Cebu

Asian Community Trust (ACT) Program Officer Megumi Nishijima recently visited Bohol in order to see the progress of its project being implemented in partnership with the Visayas Primary Health Care Services, Inc.

Ms. Nishijima visited Barangay Sto. Nino in the Municipality of San Miguel and Barangay Caluasan in the Municipality of Dagohoy last Nov. 19 - 21, 2012 in line with the ongoing project “Building community-based health programs to promote health and prevent disease in Bohol.” The project started in April 2010 and is on its third and last year.

Ms. Nishijima (writing) talks with leaders of the people’s organization 

in Barangay Sto. Nino during her visit.

 

The 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. It has funded several projects in urban poor settlers and fishermen communities in Cebu. 

A pose with the members of the people’s organization 

in Barangay Sto. Nino.

Ms. Nishijima talked with leaders and community health workers of the farmers’ organization in Sto. Nino, the Sto. Nino Farmers Association (SFA), a member of the Hugpong Mag-uuma sa San Miguel (HUMASA) or the Farmers Association in San Miguel, and the farmers’ organization Mga Mag-Uuma sa LACALSANDA Apektado sa Land Levelling (MALALA) (Farmers in Lacalsanda affected by Land levelling) in Caluasan.

A pose with residents in Barangay Caluasan.

Services of the CHWs including an herbal cooking, feeding of malnourished children and check up of patients were also conducted during her visit.

Later, Ms. Nishijima visited the VPHCS office on Nov. 22 and shared her insights, noting the improvement of the health practices of the people since the project started two years ago. 

 

A pose with VPHCS staff, from left, Luz Carreon, Crescenciana Labitad, 

Dr. Grace Molina, Dr. Petty Orbeta de Castro, Megumi Nishijima, 

Angelie Marangga, and Dr. Erlinda Posadas.

The project staff said that although the project ends in March 2013, the services of the CHWs who were trained in the project shall continue and the people’s organizations shall sustain the health programs.

Project on environmental sanitation

A one-year project “Promoting environmental sanitation and solid waste management towards better health” in Barangay Tangke, Talisay City, Cebu, funded by the Foundation for the Philippine Environment (FPE) started this November 2012. 

 

The project covers seven sitios in Barangay Tangke, one of the 22 barangays in Talisay City, with a population of nearly 2,000 households and is implemented in partnership with the Tangke United Fisherfolk Association (TUFA).

The project aims to enhance the capacity of the people’s organization to promote environmental sanitation and solid waste management towards better health. The project shall enhance awareness on environmental sanitation and proper waste disposal in order to prevent and control health problems, train community health workers (CHWs), leaders of the people’s organization and barangay officials (PO) on environmental sanitation and solid waste management, and establish a “Kuwarta sa Basura” that recycles waste materials and at the same time generate income for the people.

The project activities include the following, namely: distribution of information, education and communication materials and community meetings, training on solid waste management, vermiculture and takakura, a study tour to the Mohon Parish Eco Park, Barangay Luz and Councilor Nestor Archival Eco Park. Finally, the project shall work with the barangay council to establish the “Kuwarta sa Basura” program of the barangay. 

VPHCS Board holds annual meeting

The Board of Trustees held its annual meeting last November 17. 

Members of the Board include the following, namely, Atty. Alfonso Cinco, IV, chairman; Dr. Jaime Galvez-Tan, vice-chairman; Fr. Crispin Mostajo, CSsR, secretary; Elizabeth P. Tan, treasurer; Ma. Elena V. Luna, Dr. Eleanor Jara, and Caridad Tharan, members.

VPHCS executive director Dr. Petty Orbeta de Castro presented the program report of Dec. 2011 to October 2012 while Ms. Tan presented the financial report.

The thrusts for 2013 were discussed and finalized and major activities for the next year were also finalized.

From left to right: Caridad Tharan, Atty. Alfonso M. Cinco IV, 

Dr. Jaime Z. Galvez-Tan, Elena V. Luna, Dr.Eleonor Jara, 

Elizabeth P. Tan, Dr. Petty Orbeta de Castro, Crescenciana Labitad, 

Fr. Crispin Mostajo, CSsR.