The eMagazine of Philippine Information Agency 10
WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 2016
Solon cites intention to pursue health programs for Kagay-anons
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – We are thankful for, and humbled by, the people’s trust and confidence in our candidacy for city councilor in the last elections ... you could be rest assured of our commitment to serve the people of Cagayan de Oro City the best way possible. We could do this in close coordination, even critical collaboration, with the Office of the City Mayor.
This is the message of commitment of newly-elected Councilor Maria Lourdes S. Gaane, chair of the City Council committee on health, sanitation and health insurance. Councilor Gaane graduated from the Divine Word University Tacloban College of Medicine in 1988 and obtained her professional license on February 3, 1992. She has been in the government service since then. The councilor was the medical officer of Talisayan District Hospital from 1992 to 2004, and the municipal health officer of Naawan, Misamis Oriental from 2004 to 2005. She served as the provincial health insurance officer of Misamis Oriental from 2005 to 2013. Councilor Gaane was the city
health insurance officer of the city before she was elected councilor of the 2nd District of Cagayan de Oro on May 9, 2016. Doc Malou, as fondly called by her friends and co-workers, believes that the city’s health care delivery system needs a lot of improvement after years of degradation. Councilor Gaane said upon assuming as head of the City Health Insurance Office (CHIO), she learned that not one of the 54 barangay health care centers in the city had a Department of Health (DOH) license to operate and permit to construct. “But with the political will of Mayor Oscar S. Moreno, they have slowly but surely made major improvements in the health sector,” she cited.
“But a lot more needs to be done,” she added. Gaane enumerated her legislative agenda for the people of the city. Among others, the councilor wants to pursue Philhealth Universal Coverage to finance the enrolment of at least 100,000 indigent families in the city and upgrade the J.R. Borja General Hospital to a secondary hospital status with a fully-equipped intensive care unit. The councilor said she will
propose the creation of a distinct and separate Philhealth Department to look into the improvement of the city’s health facilities, purchase of drugs and medicines, and pay administrative costs of delivering Philhealth programs. Gaane is seeking the cooperation and partnership of everyone, citing that the noble undertaking of the city government could never be achieved without people’s vigilance and support. (JAO/CDO Legislative Information)
CDO hosts PAP regional assembly CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The Psychological Association of the Philippines (PAP), together with Xavier University’s (XU) Psychology Department, conducted this year’s regional assembly in the City of Golden Friendship, Cagayan de Oro City. Psychologists, psychometricians, mental health practitioners, and members of the academe, including current PAP members and prospects attended the said event held at the XU Little Theater. Established in 1962, PAP is “an organization committed to the promotion of excellence in the teaching, research, and practice of Psychology, and its recognition as a scientifically-oriented discipline for human and social development.” Xavier’s College of Arts and
Sciences dean Dr Juliet Q Dalagan welcomed the participants of the regional assembly aimed at strengthening members’ involvement in the organization. PAP’s vice-president Dr Margaret Helen Alvarez, internal relations officer Dr Nelly Limbadan, and board of directors’ member Dr Glenn Glarino facilitated the talk on the changes to be implemented in the organization. They noted that 2016 is the transition period for PAP and the new guidelines will take effect next year.
During the consultation part of the assembly, the three PAP leaders addressed various concerns of the attendees on the membership system, licensure and license renewal requirements, certification in different fields of the psychology practice, continuing professional education, PAP special interest groups, and regionalization. This event also provided the student-members of XU Psychology Society a glimpse of the professional benefits and perks of being a PAP
member, including the opportunity to meet other people with whom they share the same interests. XU academic vice-president Fr Rene Tacastacas SJ, in his closing message, hopes that PAP continues its commitment to fortify and capacitate its members towards personal and professional growth and social transformation. PAP will hold its 53rd annual convention from September 14 to 16 in Clark Angeles, Pampanga.(XU Comm)
Watershed blueprint to reduce poverty, improve rural communities CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Efforts to achieve a sustainably managed, protected, healthy ecosystem and abundant quality water supply of Agusan-Cugman Cluster of watersheds were made through the Integrated Watershed Management and Investment Plan (IWMIP). The Executive Committee of the Agusan-Cugman Cluster of Watersheds Management Council (ACCWMC) passed a resolution enjoining the five local governments of of Baungon, Manolo Fortich, Libona, all of the provinces of Bukidnon, Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental and Cagayan de Oro City to adopt the Integrated Watershed Magement Plan (IWMP) of the Agusan-
Cugman cluster of watersheds. This resolution is part of the Integrated Natural Resources and Environmental Management Project (INREMP) which aims to manage the upper river basins and component watershed to support poverty reduction, watershed management, biodiversity conservation and climate change policy objectives.
Natural Resources Management interventions such as reforestation, agroforestry, assisted natural regeneration and commercial tree plantation, and Rural Infrastructures including rehabilitation of farm to market roads, installation of potable water supply bridges are stipulated in the IWMP with INREMP support until 2020. The IWMP of Agusan-Cugman Cluster of Watersheds aims to
rehabilitate the watershed, increase economic condition of rural and upland communities and forest cover within the watershed through Natural Resources Management (NRM). This plan is a collaborative effort of all national government agencies, as well as local government units, non-government organizations and all stakeholders living within the AgusanCugman Cluster of Watersheds. (Hazel Mae T. Pacturan/PIA10)