ACT program officer visits Cebu, Bohol

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

ACT program officer Megumi Nishijima attends meeting with farmers in project areas, November 18.

Ms. Nishijima visited Barangay Sto. Nino in the Municipality of San Miguel and Barangay Caluasan in the Municipality of Dagohoy last Nov. 17- 18, 2011 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 second year.

Mothers listen to the health discussion.

VPHCS staff Dr. Grace Molina, Cheryl Molina and Petty de Castro with Ms. Nishijima.

Community health workers picking lagundi leaves to be processed into lagundi syrup, a bronchodilator for common cough.

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.

Ms. Nishijima talked with leaders and community health workers of the farmers’ organization in Sto. Nino, 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.

Ms. Nishijima (extreme left) listens to a community health worker conduct a health discussion.

A health education was conducted by a CHW during her visit.

Later, Ms. Nishijima visited the VPHCS office on Nov. 21 and discussed with the VPHCS office about her visit insights and plans for the project.

Ms, Nishijima with VPHCS staff, Novemeber 21, 2011.

Community diagnosis of farming communities in Bohol

A community diagnosis survey of two communities in an ongoing project of the Visayas Primary Health Care Services was recently completed.

The survey was conducted in Barangay Sto. Nino, Municipality of San Miguel and Barangay Caluasan, Municipality of Dagohoy, sites of the ongoing project, “Building Community-based Health Programs to Promote Health and Prevent Disease in Bohol” in partnership with the Asian Community Trust (ACT), Japan's first fund raising-style charitable trust.

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 farmers’ organization in Sto. Nino, 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.

The project centers on capability building of community health workers and leaders of the people’s organizations to launch health programs that answer the health needs of the communities.

The survey gathered data on the socio-demographic profile and health situation including common health problems, causes of deaths, the immunization status and nutritional status of preschoolers, health services available in the community, methods of family planning and nutritional and food practices of the families. Fifty percent of the households were respondents.

Key informant interviews were also conducted among the community leaders in order to complement and deepen the data.

The results of the survey were later discussed among the community leaders and recommendations were drawn that shall be implemented in the second year of the project.

Common health problems identified in the community diagnosis included respiratory tract infections, influenza, hypertension, diarrhea, muscle pains and fatigue, and common infections that can be prevented and managed through continuing health education and basic health services that can be rendered by trained CHWs and project staff.

The survey also recommended a family planning program to be instituted for couples who desire family planning in Caluasan which can be done through information drive regarding different forms of contraception and access of contraceptive commodities.

Malnutrition among children was also identified in both communities which shall be addressed through a nutrition program comprising of health education and information drive on proper nutrition and a feeding program for malnourished children.

Coordination with the rural health units and networking by the people’s organizations with other agencies shall also be done in order to address the problem of the lack of medicines and essential health services in the communities and the existing common practice of home delivery by traditional birth attendants.

The second year of the project shall start in April 2011.

Nursing students donate school supplies

Students organized under the Students Alliance for Community Health Services (SACHS) based in Tagbilaran City recently held its Third Pencil for a Cause Project in its adopted barangay, Caluasan in the municipality of Dagohoy, Bohol.

Some 30 students of different nursing colleges in Tagbilaran City distributed school supplies last Oct. 30, 2010 to more than 200 children of families who are members of the Hugpong Mag-uuma sa San Miguel (HUMASA) (Farmers’ Association in San Miguel, Bohol) and the Mga Mag-uuma sa Lakalsanda Apektado sa Land Levelling (MALALA) (Farmers in Lakalsanda Affected by Land Levelling).


The yearly community outreach activity of the SACHS was held during the general assembly of the MALALA in the barangay hall of Caluasan. Barangay Captain Rey Luchana also shared an update of his recent trip to Japan regarding the ongoing opposition of the farmers’ organizations of the Malinao Dam Project that has worsened their economic situations.

Members of the SACHS have always served as volunteers and partners of the VPHCS in its various community outreach programs and medical missions in its community-based health programs areas.


Barangay Caluasan in Dagohoy and Barangay Sto. Nino in San Miguel are current project areas of the VPHCS in partnership with the Asian Community Trust (ACT) based in Japan.

ACT program officer visit in Bohol

Program Officer Megumi Nishijima recently visited Bohol in order to gain first-hand experience of 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 Sept. 6-7 in line with the ongoing project “Building community-based health programs to promote health and prevent disease in Bohol.”


Ms. Nishijima talked with leaders of the farmers’ organization in Sto. Nino, 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.




The farmers shared with her how their communities have been adversely affected by the failure of the Malinao Dam Project which has worsened their economic situation that in turn affected their health conditions. 

Ms. Nishijima also visited San Miguel Municipal Vice-Mayor Jonathan Reyes, Dagohoy Municipal Mayor Hermie Relampagos and Dagohoy Municipal Health Officer Dr. Hermogenes Ricafort.


Ms. Nishijima also visited Sitio Back of Matimco, Subangdaku,Mandaue on Sept. 8. The urban poor community has an ongoing community-based health program (CBHP) developed by its residents’ organization KALUWASAN and the VPHCS. Members of the health committee shared their health activities and experiences with Ms. Nishijima.

Building Community-based Health Programs to Promote Health and Prevent Disease in Bohol

The Visayas Primary Health Care Services, Inc. (VPHCS), with the support of the Asian Community Trust (ACT) has been implementing a 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 in Bohol. 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 farmers’ organization in Sto. Nino, 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 basic health skills training was conducted last August 9 – 14 for community health workers (CHWs) in order to equip them 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 of the people’s organizations 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. It has funded several projects in urban poor settlers and fishermen communities in Cebu.

Health programs that answer the health needs of the communities shall be instituted in the project by the trained CHWs together with the leaders and members of their people’s organizations. Community participation and involvement in designing the health programs appropriate for the communities shall be ensured as it is a hallmark in community-based health programs and is the cornerstone in the primary health care approach of health service delivery.

The health programs are based on results of surveys and key informant interviews that gathered data on the socio-demographic profile and health data including common health problems, causes of deaths, the immunization status and nutritional status of preschoolers, health services available in the community, methods of family planning and nutritional and food practices of the families.