CBHP project with DSWD

The VPHCS has sustained the second year of its health capability-building project funded by the Bayan Muna Party-List and supported by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in five barangays in Cebu. 

The two-year project “Building community-based health programs (CBHP) in Cebu through training, education and services,” is implemented in Barangay T. Padilla, Sitio Ermita Proper in Barangay Ermita, and Sitio Lawis in Barangay Pasil in Cebu City, Sitio Back of Matimco, Barangay Subangdaku in Mandaue City, and Barangay Canjulao in Lapu-lapu City.

The project works with people’s organizations in the communities, including the Pundok sa Sitio Para sa Kauswagan (PSPK) in T. Padilla, Ermita Fisherfolks Association in Ermita, Pasil Women’s Association in Pasil, KALUWASAN in Sitio Back of Matimco, and the Nagkahisang Kabus sa Lapu-lapu in Canjulao. They have health committees with community health workers (CHWs). 

A basic health skills training for community health workers.

 VPHCS staff Irish Ramirez talks to residents 
in Canjulao on hypertension.

Health skills trainings have been conducted for 75 CHWs in order to equip them with basic knowledge and skills to render preventive, promotive and selective curative care to the residents. Health education classes are also conducted among residents in the areas to promote health awareness with the aim to empower them in terms of health care delivery on common health problems that can be prevented in the community level. The VPHCS staff also guide, monitor and upgrade the knowledge and skills of the trained CHWs in between trainings as they deliver their health services to the residents.  

 CHW checks up a child with fever in Sitio Back of Matimco

 Dr. Erlinda Posadas talks to women 
in T.Padilla about family health.

 Growth monitoring of children 
in Sitio Back of Matimco.

 Pasil CHW takes BP.

 Ventusa services by a young CHW in Canjulao.

Women in Pasil process ginger powder.

Project on environmental sanitation

A project “Promoting environmental sanitation and solid waste management towards better health” is currently being implemented in Barangay Tangke, Talisay City, Cebu.

The project, funded by the Foundation for the Philippine Environment (FPE) started last 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).

Mr. Roberto Bajenting talks about 
solid waste management

Seminars and discussions on solid waste management for the leaders and members of TUFA were conducted in Jan. and February 2013. Mr. Roberto Bajenting, consultant of the Cebu Coalition for Food Security and natural farming advocate talked extensively about applying the three R’s, that is, reuse, reduce and recycle waste materials in the households. He demonstrated how to make a compost using ordinary household wastes such as kitchen food waste and dried leaves sprayed with indigenous microorganisms (IMO) solution. He also demonstrated how discarded internal organs and parts of fish can be mixed with molasses in order to produce fertilizers for plants and feeds for livestock such as pigs and chicken. Tangke has a thriving business of processing dried fish.

Maria Luz Lariosa, president of TUFA discusses 
with leaders of the organization regarding 
the FPE project.

Processing of lagundi, ginger powder and taking
of blood pressure are some of the services 
rendered by the community health workers 
in Tangke. 

The project aims to enhance the capacity of TUFA to promote environmental sanitation and solid waste management towards better health.

The project is part of the efforts of the VPHCS to develop a community-based health program in Tangke. It has community health workers trained by the VPHCS that renders basic health services. 

Children’s books

More than 100 children’s books were donated to the VPHCS from an active community-based health program advocate and VPHCS friend based in the United States.

Filipino nurse Lucita Luciani now based in Sta. Monica, California procured the books from the Santa Monica Public Library and shipped the books to VPHCS last January.

The books are donated in memory of Aurora Fernandez, R.N., who died last September 12, 2012 in the United States. Aurora was a member of the VPHCS Board of Trustees and an active CBHP advocate. In a label taped on each book were written words of her being a tireless activist, teacher, mother, grandmother and teacher. The labels were donated by Evelyn Marcelo and Maria Luciani.

Children in St. Mary Grace in Talamban, Cebu City reads the books

Some of the books were distributed to urban poor communities in Cebu with CBHP developed by the VPHCS. Members of the people’s organizations ensure that the books are enjoyed by the children in the communities. Some are in the library in the VPHCS office which are also read by patients seeking medical consultation in the clinic.

Enjoying a storybook

Medical, surgical and dental mission in Guihulngan

More than 1,500 farmers from four mountain barangays in Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental were served in medical, surgical and dental mission in January 30 – 31, 2013.

The medical mission was conducted 

in Barangay Planas in Guihulngnan 

The residents converged in Barangay Planas for the two-day mission which was a joint activity of the Visayas Primary Health Care Services, Community Empowerment Resource Network (CERNET), and the Filipino – Ministry of the Diocese of San Bernardino, California, U.S.A. who comes to the Philippines every year to “trace their Filipino roots through an exposure and immersion program in depressed communities.”

The mission was sponsored by various groups 

including the Filipino – Ministry of the Diocese 

of San Bernardino, California, U.S.A. 

The mission is an offshoot of the psychosocial counselling and disaster education conducted by VPHCS and CERNET last December 13 – 20, 2012in four mountain barangays in Guihulngan and La Libertad, affected by the earthquake and landslide tragedy on February 6, 2012; most of the victims had medical problems and dental needs that need attention.

The activity was also held in coordination with the Kahugpongan sa mga Mag-uuma sa Planas (KASAMARA), Barangay Council of Planas, Guihulngan Mayor Ernesto Reyes, Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo, Hon. Rep. Jocelyn Limkaichong, and Negros Oriental Chapter of the Philippine Dental Society.

Patients were farmers in four mountain barangays 

in Guihulngan and La Libertad. 

The VPHCS team included Dr. Lilia Hernandez, Dr. Grace Molina, Dr. Maria Jecyl Amaya-Radam, Dr. Cheryl Dayanan-Pascual, Irish Ramirez, R.N., Lourdes Geolin, Ma. Antoniella Codeneira and Dr. Norbert Enders. Dr. Oliver Gimenez, CERNET executive director also joined the medical team which included doctors and nurses of the San Bernardino group. Dentists from the Negros Oriental Chapter of the Philippine Dental Society provided the dental services. Medical personnel from the Guihulngan District Hospital and Guihulngan City Health Center provided additional manpower for the mission.

Dr. Norbert Enders, member of the Solidarite Homeopathie, 

renders homeopathic services during the mission.

Philippine Dental Society – Negros Oriental Chapter

renders dental services in the mission. 

Surgeons from Negros Oriental also offer their services.

A pose after the mission.