PAMPANGA DELEGATES. Gov. Pineda with members of the Pampanga Mayors’ League poses with DOH Assistant Sec. Bayugo and Center for Health III Dir. Gorgolon before signing the pledge of commitment during the Central Luzon Stakeholders Meeting.
PHOTO COURTESY OF JUN JASO, PIO PAMPANGA
CLARK FREEPORT – A well-attended forum on the Department of Health’s (DOH) “Central Luzon Stakeholders’ Meeting” in achieving its “Millennium Development Goals (MDG)” proved to be the proper venue to harmonize the health monitoring efforts and the commitment to the program of local government units (LGUs).
At the Holiday Inn Resort here on Wednesday, DOH Regional Director Leonita P. Gorgolon expressed satisfaction in harmonizing the efforts of LGUs in the department’s MDG as refl ected by the high attendance.
The forum sought to get the commitment of LGUs for the implementation of the department’s investment plan for health and for the attainment of the MDGs by decreasing maternal and infant mortalities and decreasing the rates of tuberculosis, HIV, and rabies infection among the citizens.
Dr. Marcelo Jaochico, Pampanga provincial health officer, said the commitment of local officials will become an investment fund in the province’s programs for health. “If there is a plan and if there is a budget, the implementation of the programs will become clearer especially in attaining the MDGs,” he said.
The national government will provide the infrastructure like hospital buildings, medical equipment and facilities while the regional counterpart will be the training of staff and technical support as well as the training of health workers. The LGU counterpart will be the hiring of health personnel, Jaochico said.
Pampanga Gov. Lilia “Nanay Baby” Pineda gave a detailed update on her province’s program for health which was presented as a benchmark for its best practices during the forum. Pineda was cited by the DOH for her initiative in “zero balance billing” for her province’s 11 hospitals by replicating it with the department’s “no balance billing.”
During the forum, DOH Assistant Secretary Gerardo V. Bayugo discussed the DOH ISO Certification for quality government service underscoring that the certifi cation is not a destination but a journey. Atty. Alexander Padilla, PhilHealth president, gave an update of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. and entertained questions from the stakeholders.
Padilla said beginning October 6, a new system was implemented where delinquent members who lack qualifying contributions are still entitled to health benefi ts by merely updating their accounts. Among those who attended the forum were Governors Victor Yap of Tarlac, Hermogenes Ebdane of Zambales, Albert Garcia of Bataan, and Aurelio Umali of Nueva Ecija, as well as LGU heads form all over the region.
