My Personal Testimony

and not only the absence of disease or infirmity.”

Praise God for giving me the opportunity to work in the field of public health. I have helped people assume responsibility for their own health through relevant educational approaches and counseling techniques. I’ve opened the doors for the less fortunate to access health and social services.

I’ve encouraged people to stop smoking, to eat nutritious foods and to modify their negative life style and high risk behaviors.

I could not forget the time when as the Senior Health Education Adviser of the Philippines’ Department of Health, I wrote on behalf of the Secretary of Health a policy statement which made it imperative for government doctors to modify their smoking habits. Doctors should not smoke while attending to their patients.

Then, I partnered with the Manila Sanitarium (a Seventh Day Adventist medical institution) in developing a Smoking Cessation

Program for health workers.

When I was the President of the Board of Women’s Work of the Philippines Central Conference of the United Methodist Church, I also spearheaded what I dubbed as “Alternative Nutrition Program”, espousing a healthy vegetarian diet, with the help of Dr. Rudy Imperio, a classmate at the Institute of Public Health’s doctoral program.

These experiences strengthened my will to pursue a healthy life style conscious of the fact that my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. I will soon be an octogenarian. I am still up and about, still doing volunteer work, still actively engaged in planning and organizing community events. My primary physician said that I am in good health as shown by the results of my annual medical check-up.

Thank you, God for allowing me to start a meaningful year and for reminding me that my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit which I received from you.