Tuesday, October 10, 2006 Ifugao lauded for improving economic state
THE Provincial Government of Ifugao was awarded by the regional office of the Center for Health and Development (CHD) in Baguio for successfully implementing holistic and macro approach of health services in the province.
The award was received by the local government officials led by Engineer Carmelita Buyuccan, provincial planning coordinator, from Health Regional Director Myrna Cabotaje during the "Cordillera Health Decision Makers Forum".
The Department of Health (DOH) also recognized the best practices of other provinces in the region.
Dubbed as Hensipap or the Health and Nutrition Status and Improvement-Poverty Alleviation Program, the activity was launched in Ifugao in 2002 and ended just recently. It was aimed at establishing a quantitative and qualitative improvement of the health and nutrition status of the poorest households, barangays and municipalities as the foundation for the overall improvement in the quality of life in Ifugao.
The program, which played a major role in extricating the province from the infamous Club 20 or the list of the 20 poorest of the poor provinces in the country, pursued and reinforced the minimum basic needs approach to poverty alleviation at the provincial and local levels in terms of planning and convergence and investments prioritization of local and national and other resources.
"What made it a best practice is that it didn't only focus on health and nutrition status improvement but also covers livelihood and income improvement and institutional development and support services like policy support and coordination, capability building and linkaging, statistical coordination and data banking, information, education and advocacy and program management," said Jojo Mae Uyami, planning officer I of the Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO).
The program was initially implemented in four identified most nutritionally and economically depressed municipalities and barangays in the province as per the provincial and municipal technical working groups (TWGs).
The first four pilot barangays were Umalbog in Hingyon; Camadag in Asipulo; Galonogon in Aguinaldo; and Langayan in Mayoyao.
PPDO records showed that the Hensipap program covered 23 depressed barangays in the province and has delivered health and nutrition livelihood and support services to the areas.
From the 18,140 families considered poor in 2000, only 9,069 families were calculated poor in 2003, which showed a 50 percent reduction, earning for Ifugao the distinction as the most improved province in the country.
Under health and nutrition, the following activities were done: supplemental feeding, micronutrient supplementation, "todok ahin," water sampling analysis, iodized salt testing, OPT, de-worming, toilet bowls distribution and management of diarrhea cases.
For income and livelihood activities, record stated that breeder stock dispersal, fruit trees and vegetable seeds were distributed and fingerlings dispersal, including orientation and trainings, were conducted.
The records stated that there was no SEA-K organization formed in the area because the community could not acquire the requirements of the program.
As to the institutional development and support services, coordination meetings, assessment surveys and planning workshops were conducted, the report added. It also revealed that orientations on the program and capability building activities were done for the provincial TWG members and selected barangays.
As the Hensipap ended this year, the Provincial Government plans to sustain the gains learned from the program, which brought a drastic change in the lives of the Ifugao people.
The program will now be called the Integrated Area Development Assistance Program (Iadap). The Provincial Government also said that while Ifugao is celebrating the achievements, meeting the unmet needs of the more than 9,000 households remains a challenge.
Indicators under income and employment, people's participation, basic education and literacy, food and nutrition and health of 20.56-percent unmet needs are still relatively high, the report said.
The local government also noted that the data on crude death rate and maternal mortality are concerns to be given attention. Increasing malnutrition cases involving schoolers also need preferential consideration.
With the overall goal of the program to ensure quality life for every Ifugaos, the implementers are even faced with a greater task that is to improve the health, nutrition, income and livelihood, institutional development and special and support services at the barangay level.
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