Provincial government upholds role of women

LINGAYEN–“Behind the success of a man is a woman”

This was echoed by Pangasinan First Lady Priscilla Espino at the recent celebration of Provincial Women’s Month with the theme “Magna Carta of Women, The Philippines convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women (CEDAW), in support of the Millennium Development Goals”, held at the Sison Auditorium last March 23.

Mrs. Espino lauded the Kalipunan ng Lipunang Pilipina (KALIPI) for organizing the activity together with the provincial government and urged the group to continue organizing the activity for women so that Pangasinan women would become closer to each other and would be more aware of their rights as women.

According to Mrs. Espino, the provincial government under the leadership of her husband, Governor Amado T. Espino, Jr., is committed and sincere in helping Pangasinan women, citing the projects of the governor like the establishment of birthing stations and facilities for pregnant women.

In her speech. Mrs. Espino lamented that though women have the greatest role in this world, they are very vulnerable to harassment or discrimination, adding that women are regarded as “ang babae para sa bahay lang.”

She recalled that during the Spanish era, women were treated as inferior citizens and were very vulnerable to violence committed against them by men.

“We are tired of such discrimination,” the governor’s wife stressed even as she urged all women to go “out of their closet” and prove that they can be a very valuable force to be recognized and should be treated equally like men.

With this development, she called on all women to work hand-in-hand with each other, help each other and should be united, because according to her “these will help us in our battle to stop the violence against women”.

Mrs. Espino said that women are also a force in politics citing women leaders from Pangasinan like 5th district Rep. Kimi Cojuangco, 6th district Rep. Marlyn Primicias-Agabas, 4th district Rep. Gina de Venecia and 3rd district Rep. Rachel Arenas.

She also cited boxing champ Ana “the hurricane” Julaton, who is also from Pangasinan. (PIO)

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SCHOLARSHIP GRANTS–Governor Amado T. Espino, Jr. (6th from left) awards P6,000 in financial assistance  each to some 1,000 scholars at the Pangasinan State University last March 22 and 24 at the Sison Auditorium in Lingayen. The scholarship grant, initially launched by the Governor in 2001 during his term as Representative of the 2nd District, assists poor but deserving Pangasinenses to obtain a better education. The scholarship grant covers all eight campuses of PSU located in Lingayen, San Carlos City, Bayambang, Binmaley, Infanta, Urdaneta City, Asingan, and Sta. Maria. Also in photo are Sangguniang Panlalawigan Member Von Mark Mendoza (2nd from right), Dr. Eusebio Miclat, Jr. (1st from right), and Erlinda Fernandez (2nd from left), consultants at the Office of the Governor. (PIOPhoto)

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Pangasinan joins World TB Day celebration

LINGAYEN–“Huwag Mahiya, TB ay Nagagamot Na.”

This slogan was highlighted during the motorcade parade held in San Carlos City as the province joined the annual celebration of World TB Day last March 24 with the theme “Isulong ang Laban sa TB, Malusog na Kabataan, Pag-asa ng Bayan” .

The kick-off ceremony was participated in by city residents led by barangay officials and barangay health workers (BHWs) who serve as frontliners in implementing the various health programs at the far-flung areas.

Also joining the parade were representatives from the private hospitals, including the Virgen Milagrosa MedicaL Center and Blessed Family General Hospital, which are now in parallel with the government hospitals in efforts to fight tuberculosis.

Gov. Amado T. Espino, Jr. stressed during his meeting with the health officials that tuberculosis can now be cured, saying “hindi dapat ikahiya ang sakit na TB and instead let us encourage them to live a dignified life by giving them proper and extensive treatment.”

Dr. George Calugay, Pangasinan Health Team Leader of the Department of Health, noted that Pangasinan has shown progress in the TB control efforts with a record high of 90.6 percent cure rate and 71 percent case detection rate in 2009, surpassing the national benchmark of 85 percent and 70 percent for cure rate and detection rate respectively.

This could be attributed, he added, to the TB-DOTS (Directly Observed Treatment Shortcourse) facility center which was established in all government hospitals in the province that caters to suspected TB patients. The facility includes the provision of free X-ray examination, sputum microscopic testing and giving of quality TB drugs for at least six months to two-years depending on the outcome of diagnosis.

For his part, Roberto Ilagan, Director of USAID’s TB-LINK or Linking Initiative and Networking to Control Tuberculosis, revealed that tuberculosis is the 6th leading cause of mortality in the country today even as he added that Philippines ranked 9th of the 22 countries with the highest TB burdens nationwide.

In Pangasinan, tuberculosis is the 8th leading cause of morbidity and the 7th leading cause of deaths in the year 2007.

Helping out the suspected TB patients, he said, should start with the massive information campaign that TB can now be cured and help discard the stigma on TB patients which prevents them from being able to get early treatment.

He noted that in Region I, only the province of Pangasinan continues to benefit from direct technical assistance from the USAID’s TB-LINC in terms of the provision of policy-making to LGUs, capability-building to health providers, communication system, among others.

MULTI-SECTORAL ALLIANCE

Meanwhile, Dra. Ana Theresa S. de Guzman, provincial health officer II, has announced that the province is set to launch the Provincial Multi-Sectoral Alliance (PMSA) for TB Control on March 29 at the Sison Auditorium.

The PMSA was formed during the consultative meeting held March 14, which was participated in by various multi-sectoral groups including the private health sector, academe, private establishments, concerned line agencies, non-government organizations, concerned provincial offices and media.

This was in response to the advocacy of the Philippine Coalition Against Tuberculosis (PhilCAT), which aims to form a “coalition of the willing” at the local level to make Philippines a TB-free country in 2016.

Among the activities during the World TB Day celebration were the Lecture on Basic Concept of Tuberculosis, Quiz T-Bee and Poster Making Contest.

Highlighting the event was the giving of words of support to the World TB Day in the persons of Dr. Angelo Juan, medical director of VMMC, Dr. Alfredo Bernal, medical director of Blessed Family General Hospital.

The affair was attended by the host city officials headed by City Mayor Jullier Resuello, rural health units physicians and Dr. Carlo Orduña representing Dr. Jackson Soriano, PPH chief of hospital. (PIO)

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