Preventive and Integrative Health Programs

thanks jofti and the initiators of this e-conference. congratratulations too! yes i fully agree with jofti about the need for us esp the DOH to give priority attention to the preventive aspect of health. It is a well known fact that budget wise, preventive or health promotion which is the term used by DOH is not a priority. Overwhelming and allocation to curative and synthetic drugs, infra and equipment.

This is one of the reasons why Sarilaya thru its Integrated health and Development Prog (IHDP) has been undertaking an education and advocacy campaign to promote a community-based, preventive and integrative heath to address one of the biggest social issues we are facing today–the deteriorating health condition of Filipinos especially that of our kababayans in typhoon haiyan (TH) affected communities. Since Nov. sarilayans and pkkk women (in behalf of Bulig Kababyen-an, a newly- formed coalition of CSOs supporting and advocating for women’s rights in TH affected communities) had conducted healthy feeding projects in basey, and guian in e. samar and in 2 barangays in antique in celebration of the international women’s month. In antique i joined Lilak (an NGO advocating promotion and respect of IP women’s rights) undertake a massive relief as well as early recovery work that responded both to the practical and strategic needs of women and their families. These practical needs come in the form of form of what we call dignity packs. one for the women’s needs that consist of : underwear, sanitary napkins, malong, cooking utensils, etc. the other dignity pack is the healthy food pack for their families consisting of mung beans (or mongo a better substitute for meat protein), organic rice, dried dilis (rich in calcium), malunggay leaves & powder (considered a wonder vegetable even by the japanese) . the feeding project which fed about 600 women and children demonstrated the value of using locally-produced/grown vegetables like assorted beans , green leaffies and root crops that are rich in protein and other essential minerals/vitamins and therefore more nutritious and safe than the quite expensive milk, instant noodlesand canned goods. One mother of 6 children commented after we cooked together “la-uya” (or lay-uy in cebu adn davao) about 12 kinds of vegetables that are grown in their community, with just tanglad, onions, native ginger and coconut milk, “lami diay maskig walay baboy!” or “ang sarap pala kahit walang karne!”