COTABATO: OUR PROVINCE OUR PRIDE
Cotabato Province Information Board
Cotabato BHW’s to hold 2-day province-wide congress this month
By Jimmy Sta. Cruz
AMAS, KIDAPAWAN CITY – Around 2,500 Barangay Health Workers (BHW’s) from the 17 municipalities of Cotabato will convene for a two-day congress at the Cotabato Provincial Capitol Gymnasium this Nov. 11-12, 2013.
The congress which is held annually aims to recognize once more the BHW’s contribution in promoting and maintaining health services in the villages of the province of Cotabato.
The BHW’s serve as front liners of the Health Department in the implementation of its health programs particularly among pregnant women and young children.
In Cotabato province, the BHW sector are active partners of the provincial government in realizing the health programs of Governor Emmylou “Lala” J. Taliño-Mendoza thru her “Serbisyong Totoo” advocacy.
In this regard, Gov. Taliño-Mendoza in return wanted the BHW’s to upgrade their skills as health partners by incorporating lectures on improvement of health service, disaster preparedness and other programs of the provincial government pertaining to wellbeing and healthiness.
She then delegated at least three resources persons for the lectures namely Bernadita Merin and Elly Nebrija of the Community Health Team and Disaster Preparedness of the Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) respectively and Lani Babulon of the Provincial Governor’s Office.
This year’s congress theme is “BHW Kaagapay sa Serbisyong Totoo para sa Malusog na Cotabato” which affirms the workers’ significant role in the delivery of health services.
To spice up the activity, parlor games and a search for “Mutya ng BHW 2013” will be included in the highlights of the congress.
Meanwhile, the Provincial Government of Cotabato was able to send 12 Lumad youth leaders in
the Adolescent Health Camp held at Onbana Convention Center in Pampanga City last October 21-25, 2013.
The same number of youth also served as representatives of Region 12 in the activity organized by the composite government agencies namely the Dept. of Health (DOH), Dept. of Education (DepEd) and the National Youth Commission (NYC) and the non-government organization Batang Ina, inc.
The said camp served as training ground for youth leaders coming from different provinces to act as peer educators in the dissemination of the government’s health programs like those that concern adolescence and responsible parenthood.
Base on the recent study conducted by DOH 12, the region has a relatively high rate of teenage pregnancy.
Cotabato province on the other hand does not have an overall indication of teenage pregnancy high rate but cases are monitored in the far-flung villages.
This is where youth peer educators come along to help inform and educate the youth in the negative or bad effects of early or teenage pregnancy.