Day: March 11, 2024

Bac Giang: The northern province of Bac Giang will continue to improve grassroots-level health care in the coming time, according to Director of the province’s Health Department Nguyen Thi Thu Huong.

By 2030, there will be at least one full-time doctor at every health station in the province, and a trained health worker at every hamlet.

The province also targets to have health insurance coverage reach over 99% of the total population; over 95% of the people use health services covered by health insurance at grassroots healthcare units; over 95% of people have their health records managed properly; and all communes, wards, and towns in the province meet national health criteria.

Also by 2030, the province will rearrange its district-level health centres and commune health stations in line with its rearrangement of administrative units. Accordingly, the province expects to have 11 district-level health centres including a city health centre, two township health centres, seven district health centres, and one
health centre for industrial zones.

Meanwhile, it is also striving to have 192 commune-level health stations including eight health stations, 17 town stations, and 167 commune stations.

Specifically, in the 2024 – 2025 period, Bac Giang will focus on completing, handing over and putting into use the investment project to expand the health centres of Luc Nam, Yen The and Son Dong districts.

The locality will also start projects to build, renovate and upgrade the infectious disease departments at the health centres of Luc Nam, Tan Yen, Hiep Hoa and Viet Yen districts. It will continue to renovate facilities and purchase new medical equipment for the centres in districts, Bac Giang city and industrial parks.

For the commune-level health system, Bac Giang will build, repair, and upgrade 22 stations under the investment programme to develop grassroots health networks in disadvantaged areas using loans from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

It will spend the remaining funds of the socio-economic recovery and d
evelopment programme on upgrading and buying medical equipment for eight commune stations.

In the 2026 – 2030 period, the province will build a new Luc Ngan district health centre with a scale of 250 beds. It will also renovate, upgrade, and expand the first branch of Bac Giang City Health Centre and build a new branch in Tan My commune as well as a new health centre to serve the needs of disease prevention and medical examination and treatment for workers in industrial parks.

Commune-level medical facilities will be improved with focuses on better meeting the requirements of disease prevention, early detection, and the expansion of outpatient treatment of non-communicable diseases, chronic diseases, and long-term care at grassroots health units. The facilities will boost the documentation, examination, and management for all people in the province.

Meanwhile, district-level health centres will develop new technical services and specialised clinical/subclinical techniques; combine traditional medicine with
modern medicine in medical examination and treatment; strengthen primary care services, proactively apply disease prevention and control measures, vaccination, nutrition, HIV/AIDS prevention; ensure food safety; improve population quality; and implement basic medical service packages as prescribed in Circular No. 37/2017/TT-BYT dated October 18, 2017, of the Ministry of Health regulating basic medical service packages for grassroots health care.

The province has 232 public health units including 12 provincial units, 11 district-level and 209 commune health stations. In addition, there is also one industry hospital – the second branch of Military Hospital 110 and a provincial police clinic. There are 656 non-public medical facilities in the province including 13 private hospitals with a total of 912 beds, 27 general clinics, and 427 specialised clinics.

Now, the province can arrange 31.8 beds and 12.2 doctors on average to serve every 10,000 people. Its health insurance coverage reaches 99.2%. The average li
fe expectancy of people in Bac the province increased to 73.7 years./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

MANILA: Department of Justice (DOJ) Assistant Secretary Michelle Ann Lapuz has stressed the importance of collective effort in achieving gender equality and eradicating violence against women and children.

Lapuz spoke at the Philippine Information Agency’s (PIA) International Women’s Day celebration on March 8, emphasizing a collaborative approach to women’s empowerment.

“This path is not about women fighting against men, but about everyone working together,” she said as she shared her own experiences joining the DOJ to create a more gender-balanced environment, highlighting the need for women’s perspectives across society.

Lapuz cited the existing legislation protecting women and children, including the Magna Carta for Women and anti-violence and abuse laws.

The DOJ actively participates in initiatives like the Interagency Council on VAWC and the Interagency Council against Trafficking in Persons to combat violence and empower women.

One key initiative is the establishment of a dedicated GAD (Gender and
Development) and Special Protection Office within the DOJ. The DOJ has also implemented a one-stop-shop for victims of violence against women, providing safe havens, counseling, and legal assistance.

Lapuz emphasized the role of effective communication, especially in reaching rural communities.

While acknowledging the power of social media, she stressed the need for clear and engaging messaging. The DOJ plans to strengthen its social media strategy using visuals and compelling content to raise awareness about violence against women and children.

She called on the PIA, with its extensive reach, to partner in spreading the message of women’s empowerment and protection.

“Change starts with small steps,” Lapuz said. ‘Everyone has a role to play in creating a just and peaceful society.”

Lapuz thanked the PIA and urged them to continue collaboration. Her message underscored the ongoing fight for equality and justice, calling for unity in empowering women and building a safer, more inclusive world.

Source: Ph
ilippines News Agency

More Bulakenyos are expected to receive medical assistance as Senator Christopher ‘Bong’ Go, chair of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, led the inauguration of the 161st Malasakit Center inside the Joni Villanueva General Hospital in Barangay Igulot here Monday morning.

In his speech, Go announced that the Malasakit Center in Bocaue is the 4th in the province of Bulacan, apart from those at Bulacan Medical Center in the City of Malolos, Rogaciano M. Mercado Memorial Hospital in Santa Maria and the City of San Jose del Monte Hospital.

‘Ang Malasakit Center po is a one-stop shop. Batas na po iyan na isinulong natin noong naging senador tayo. Para po iyan sa mga poor and indigent patients. Para po iyan sa Pilipino (The Malasakit Center is a one-stop shop. It’s a law that we pushed when we became senator. It’s for the poor and indigent patients. It’s for the Filipino),’ he said.

Go is the principal author and sponsor of Republic Act 11463, or the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019, which institutiona
lized the Malasakit Centers program.

As the Father of Malasakit Center, Go said his health advocacy remains one of his top priorities, highlighting that the Malasakit Centers program is an important aspect of public healthcare, providing convenient and efficient access to Filipinos who require medical assistance.

“Aside from Malasakit, kasama sa prayoridad ko ang pagpapatayo ng mga Super Health Centers at ang Regional Specialty Centers (included in my priorities is building Super Health Centers and Regional Specialty Centers),” he said.

On his part, Governor Daniel Fernando thanked the senator for the support given to the province of Bulacan through the Malasakit Centers and Super Health Centers.

“Maraming salamat Sen. Go sa apat na Malasakit Center na itinayo mo sa aming lalawigan at itong aming lalawigan ang may pinakamarami dahil nangangahulugan ito na mas maraming Bulakenyo ang mabibigyan ng angkop na lunas sa kanilang karamdaman ng hindi po nangangamba sa kakulangan ng pambayad o pantustos dito (Than
k you very much Sen. Go for the four Malasakit Centers that you established in our province and our province has the most number and this means more Bulakenyos will be given proper treatment for their illness without worrying about lacking the resources to pay for it),” he said.

Malasakit Centers bring together services from the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Health, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office. These one-stop shops aim to support impoverished patients in reducing their hospital costs to the least possible amount.

Go also lauded the support of Senator Joel Villanueva, the DOH led by Secretary Ted Herbosa, Undersecretary Maria Rosario Clarissa Singh-Vergeire as well as Rep. Boy Cruz of Bulacan 5th District and Vice Gov. Alex Castro.

The inauguration was also attended by other local officials led by Bocaue Mayor Eduardo ‘Jonjon’ Villanueva Jr.; Vice Mayor Sherwin Tugna; Dr. Corazon Flores, DOH Regional Director; and Dr. Renel
y Tungol, officer in charge of Joni Villanueva General Hospital.

Source: Philippines News Agency

– The Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) fell to 6,800-level on Monday taking cues from US markets, while the peso strengthened to 55.37 to the greenback.

‘Along with the Asian markets, the local bourse dropped by 69.97 points (1.01 percent) to 6,872.24 following the negative cues from Wall Street last Friday, while investors awaited the release of US inflation data this week,’ Philstocks Financial, Inc. assistant research manager Claire Alviar said.

All the sectoral counters closed in the red territory, with the biggest losses from Property, down by 2.70 percent.

This is followed by Industrial, down by 1.15 percent; along with Mining and Oil, 1.06 percent; Services, 0.84 percent; Holding Firms, 0.21 percent; and Financials, 0.12 percent.

‘Moreover, foreign investors weighed on the market performance, registering a net outflow of PHP277.68 million. The net market value turnover was weak at PHP3.46 billion, which was way lower than the year-to-date’s average of PHP4.71 billion,’ Alviar added.

Losers
outnumbered gainers at 125 to 62, with 53 counters maintained their shares.

Meanwhile, the Philippine peso closed stronger by PHP0.20 against the US dollar to 55.37 from a 55.57 finish at the end of last week.

It opened the day at 55.59, better from the previous trading day’s kick-off of 55.82 to a dollar.

The currency pair traded between 55.37 and 55.65, bringing the average level for the day to 55.51 against the greenback.

Foreign exchange volume declined to USD1.09 billion from USD1.21 billion during the previous trading.

Source: Philippines News Agency

The Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) fully awarded bids for Treasury bills (T-bills) during Monday’s auction.

The 90-, 182-, and 364-day T-bills fetched average rates of 5.772 percent, 5.966 percent, and 6.087 percent, respectively, slightly lower than last week’s average auction yield.

Last week, the 90-, 182-, and 364-day T-bills average rate was at 5.778 percent, 5.995 percent, and 6.100 percent.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation chief economist Michael Ricafort said T-bills average auction yield corrected slightly lower for the first week, after rising for 11 straight weeks.

Ricafort said this is “amid large maturities of Retail Treasury Bonds worth about PHP700 billion from March 9-12, 2024 that would increase peso liquidity in the financial system some of which would [be] reinvested in government securities (GS) in the market, thereby could lead to lower GS yields.”

“T-bill auction yields also corrected slightly lower after more dovish signals from Fed Chair Powell and other Fed officials recently
on possible Fed rate cuts later this year with high odds of Fed rate cuts over the past two weeks,” he said.

The auction was 3.4 times oversubscribed, attracting PHP50.7 billion in total tenders.

The BTr raised the full program of PHP15 billion for the auction.

Source: Philippines News Agency

The city’s month-long celebration of the Hundred Island Festival features mainstay events to celebrate good harvest and boost tourism.

One of the regular events in western Pangasinan is the Talaba Ihaw-Ihaw (oyster grilling) held on Saturday.

Alaminos Mayor Arth Bryan Celeste said in an interview that the city is the largest producer of oysters in Pangasinan.

‘We want to market our product and, hopefully, it will also be as popular as the Alaminos City longganisa (local pork sausage),’ he said.

He said 185 sacks of freshly harvested oyster purchased by private individuals were consumed during the grilling event along the 400-meter stretch of Barangay Poblacion.

City aquaculturist Mikhaela Tamayo said in an interview on Monday that there are about 1.5 hectares of oyster farms in the city, from the villages of Pangapisan, Mona, Cayucay and Baleyadaan.

She said the city’s oyster production last year reached 766 metric tons from 266 oyster farmers.

Alaminos has successfully adopted the modified bamboo raf
t technology introduced by the Department of Agriculture-National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (DA-NFRDI) last year.

Tamayo said the farmers have 29 modified bamboo rafts situated in Barangay Baleyadaan.

‘Environmental wise, it is safer and harvesting is also made easy with the bamboo raft, according to the farmers,’ she said.

Funded by the DA-Bureau of Agricultural Research, the project was implemented by NFRDI in collaboration with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources-Ilocos and National Fisheries Development Center.

Oysters are cultured and harvested here by using either discarded rubber tires or the bamboo stake method.

On the other hand, the bamboo raft technology utilizes floaters, bamboo, and straps to cultivate oysters, benefiting growers by reducing mortality rates, enabling faster growth, and producing better-quality meat, Tamayo said.

Tamayo said oyster farmers are also fishers during the off-season or while waiting for the harvesting of oysters.

Last year, 438,619 t
ourists visited Hundred Islands, up by 12 percent compared to the 389,006 visitors in 2022.

Although the number of tourist arrivals last year has not yet reached the pre-pandemic level of 520,000 in 2019, it has already exceeded the number of visitors to the Hundred Islands National Park in 2020 at 93,000 and in 2021 at 50,000.

Tourism receipts rose to PHP44 million from the previous year’s PHP33.3 million.

The other activities for this year’s festival celebration include the lights parade and street dancing competition, the first Hundred Islands Amazing Challenge, Miss Hundred Islands 2024, invitational hip-hop dance showdown, agri-trade and tourism expo, and longganisa cookfest.

Source: Philippines News Agency