CAMP RAJAMUDA, PIKIT, NORTH COTABATO (16 FEBRUARY 2024) — In a bid to bolster healthcare services in underserved communities, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity through the Government of the Philippines (GPH) Task Force for Decommissioned Combatants and their Communities (TFDCC), together with the the Department of Health (DOH), and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao-Ministry of Health (BARMM-MOH), spearheaded the ceremonial turnover of rural health units with birthing facilities in the six camps of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), a medical caravan, and PhilHealth registration here.

The event, participated in by government officials, healthcare professionals, and community leaders, showcased the concerted efforts of the national and Bangsamoro governments to address the healthcare needs of residents of communities within the MILF camps and neighboring areas.

Government of the Philippines Implementing Panel (GPIP) Chairman, Presidential Assistant Cesar Yano, emphasized the importance of accessible healthcare services in fostering community development and stability.

According to Yano, healthcare is a fundamental right that every citizen deserves. By providing essential medical services and facilities, “will not only improve the well-being of the people but also contribute to the overall peace and unity of the region and the nation as a whole.”

Sincere, continued commitment of the national government

The ceremonial turnover of rural health units symbolized the commitment of the government to ensure sustained healthcare access in rural communities. These five units located in Brgy. Panggao, Munai, Lanao Del Norte, Brgy. Saniag, Ampatuan, Maguindanao, Brgy. Sandab, Butig, Lanao del Sur, Brgy. Guindulungan, Maguindanao and the almost complete Brgy. Nabalawag, Barira, Maguindanao, are expected to serve as vital hubs for delivering primary healthcare services, including consultations, vaccinations, and maternal care.

For Undersecretary of Health, Field Implementation and Coordination Team – Mindanao (FICT-M), Dr. Abdullah B. Dumama, Jr. the “facility will be able to serve the people in the area more appropriately and responsibly.”

“Further I am sure, na this will be operated with utmost care and concern for the benefit of the many generations to come. Itong facility na ito ay hindi lamang magsho-showcase kundi bilang magiging legacy as a sincerity ng pamahalaan. Sinsero po ang ating gobyerno para makapagbigay ng serbisyo sa ating mga kababayan especially the Bangsamoro People,” Dumama said.

“Kami po sa Department of Health, gagawin po namin ang aming makakaya para ipaabot po sa inyo ang sapat at tamang kalidad ng serbisyong pangkalusugan para sa lahat. Wala po kaming iiwan. Lahat po tayo ay sabay-sabay na mapabuti ang serbisyong ito. Hindi po pwedeng siya lang, hindi pwedeng ako lang, kundi tayong lahat,” he added.

Dumama explained to residents that the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), the government corporation attached to the Department of Health, is mandated to provide health insurance coverage and ensure affordable and accessible healthcare services for all Filipinos.

“Yung Philhealth na sinasabi nila, lahat po tayo ay miyembro na wala na pong kailangan bayaran pang premium dahil tayo ay Pilipino. Wala pong isang kusing na ipapalabas ang ating mga kababayan lalong-lao na po ang mga mahihirap,” he bared.

Meanwhile, TFDCC co-chair and Member of Parliament Atty. Laisa Masuhud Alamia noted that “the construction of the RHU was a product of an agreement involving the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU), the Department of Health (DOH), and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao-Ministry of Health (BARMM-MOH). It contributes not only towards making health services more accessible to the community but also towards fostering peace in the Bangsamoro.”

Alamia, also stressed the importance of having a rural health unit with a birthing facility in improving local health conditions and reducing maternal and infant mortality, especially in areas that are far from hospitals like Camp Rajamuda.

Moreover, the medical caravan participated by the MOH Regional, Cotabato Regional and Medical Center, Cotabato Sanitarium and General Hospital, Integrated Provincial Health Office-Maguindanao (IPHO), IPHO Lanao, MOH Special Geographic Area (SGA), and PhilHealth brought much-needed healthcare services directly to the doorstep of residents.

With a team of healthcare professionals on board, the caravan was able to provide more than 1,000 residents with free medical services such as checkup, pre- and post-natal consultation, circumcision, and dental services, give medicines and equipment such as wheelchairs and crutches, and conducted bloodletting.

“Not the end but the beginning of continued partnership”

In addition to healthcare services, the event also facilitated the PhilHealth registration of more than 500 residents, making them qualitifed for the public health insurance benefits. This initiative aims to alleviate the financial burden for medical services and empower individuals to seek necessary healthcare without hesitation.
OPAPRU Executive Director For Bangsamoro Transformation Jordan S. Bayam, noted that the turnover of the six rural health units is “not the end but the beginning of continued partnership to ensure the delivery of quality social health services in the community here and other MILF camps where rural health units are built.”

“We will assure you that we will continue our efforts to provide healthcare and other services to the decommissioned combatants, their families and their communities. I think we are all aware that the lack of basic social services emerges [from] poverty, which in return fuels aggression. Through the provision of basic social services [and] other social economic programs and [through] political reforms we are implementing, we can finally achieve the elusive dream of peace in the Bangsamoro,’’ he noted.

Proactive approach

Local officials and community leaders expressed gratitude for the government’s unwavering support in improving healthcare access in their region. They lauded the efforts of the OPAPRU, along with its partner agencies, for their whole-of-government approach in providing healthcare and peace-building initiatives.

BTA -Member of Parliament Akmad Jack Abas Alhadj expressed his hopes for continued government support, as he reiterated the MILF’s strong commitment to help promote peace and unity in their communities.

Abas said that the collaborative efforts between government agencies, healthcare professionals, and local communities are helping to significantly improve the provision of health services to residents in the six-acknowledged MIF camps and neighboring areas.

Also present during the activity where Minister Rizaldy Piang of the Ministry of Health- BARMM; Lt. Gen. Danilo Pamonag, co-chair of GPH-JTFCT OPAPRU; Director Ishmael Bahjin of the SDU-TFDCC; OPAPRU Director Farrah Grace Naparan, Head, Secretariat of the GPIP-MILF Peace Process; MP Dr. Kadil Jojo Sinolinding; IPHO Maguimdanao Dr. Bagundaali; and Sanitarium Hospital Chief Dr. Ebrahim Pangato Jr. and Dr. Norodin Salam. ###