Communiy Service Unit on its Monthly Meeting

                   There is always a call for improvement. A CSU (Community Service Unit) Meeting was conducted on March 30, 2014 at Waling2x 1, MTRC Building 2, DMSF, Davao City. The whole day activity is for the updating and reporting of accomplishments for the month of March.

                   The Community Service Unit (CSU) as part of the Davao Medical School Foundation(DMSF) responsible for community projects have been operating in areas of Mindanao primarily in poor and unprivileged communities. CES, CEPGov, BLT, IP-MNCHN and IMPACT are existing projects that is on the first and second years of operation. A total of 39 participants attended the said activity. Project Highlight, Unit Annual Operation Plan (AOP), Schedules and Updates and other matters are among the things that are covered by the said activity.

       Every Project presented the accomplishments and other highlights for the month of March. IMPACT, as a new project, delivered the project Orientation while the AMCCAP, on its gradual phase out reported the general accomplishments and stressed out the big impact that the project bring to the community. The activity resulted to the identification of plans and targets per Key Results Area which is vital to the entire operation of the IPHC. The people-centered approach was emphasized in the activity. Community Organizers and OJT’s embarked additional knowledge to take extra effort in the field.

                    The next CSU Meeting will be at the end of the month of April. The said activity was made possible through the effort of every project unit. IMPACT was assigned as the Relational Committee, IP-MNCHN for the food and venue, CES for Boarder and CFJ for Documentation. All the projects worked together for the attainment of the meeting.

          With the joyous smile and heartfelt appreciation expressed by the participants, the activity achieved its desired outputs.

Basic Steps Towards Global Development

Days became hours as to minutes became seconds. My adventure and breath taking experiences have been so amazing. I can see myself enjoying every single event that happened for the last month. There were things that have been in my mind for days that I know could help me in this field. As a community organizer, I am very happy that there will be new faces, new group of people who will be part of my life, new set of problems to face and new success to strive for excellence.

It is glad to know that once again I will be involved with the people from the regional down to the barangay level that will help us hand in hand in delivering the project. Tuberculosis has been a problem to developing communities and there have a pragmatic decline in detection and cure rate based on the Philippine Target Plan on TB control. Therefore, a project Innovations and Multi-sectoral Partneships To Achieve Contro on Tuberculosis (IMPACT) funded by the United StatesAgency for International Development (USAID) was established to intensify the case findings to increase the detection and the cure rate. With the Philippine Businessfor Social Progress (BPSP) an agency entrusted by the said funder to deliver the project. The Technical Assistance Providers (TAP’s) happened to be the sub-contractor of the PBSP for proper implementation of the said project.

Davao MedicalSchool Foundation, Inc. (DMSFI) is one of the NGO’s who will help realize the said project. An institution located at Davao City that caters medical courses with a hospital and the Institute of Primary Health Care (IPHC). The IPHC responsible for giving humanitarian and primary health services to the community for over 30 years. DMSF took the challenge to become the sub-contractor of the PBSP. The school’s representatives have been attending Trainings and Seminars initiated by the said contractor.

The recently concluded Training of Trainers was a starting point towards the achievement of the project. The DMSF participated the said activity held on March 11-13, 2015 at Bayleaf Hotel, Intramuros, Manila. Six participants including the Project Manager, Cynthia Manlapus and five Community Organizers enjoyed the whole experience. Among the topics discussed was the Basic Facts about TB, The Revised Manual of Procedure and the Training and Facilitation. A demonstration of the topics on training of CBO’s was presented by every participating NGO’s; RIT/JATA, PHANSUP, WESADEF, KINASANG-AN and DMSF.

On March 24, 2015 a closed door meeting with the Area Coordinator Sharlene April  Jalandra and the DMSF IMPACT Team was conducted to formally initiate the plan and primary tasks. The DMSF team will be introduced by the area coordinator to the Provincial Health Office of Davao Oriental on March 25, 2015 at Mati City. The said activity is expected to have outputs, this includes the name of municipalities that will be covered by the project and determining existing Community Based Organizations.

           On the 25th of March the Team Mindanao for IMPACT project headed to Mati City for a courtesy call. Spearheded by Dr. Ted Yu, Team Leader for Mindanao together with the Project Management Corrdinator of IPHC and DMSF's IMPACT project head, Cynthia Manlapus. A short but meaty conversation commenced during the meeting. The tentative areas are municipalities of Baganga, Taragona, Caraga, Cateel, Boston, Manay. These municipalities will be the pilot areas. One of the things that was set during the meeting was the upcoming Courtesy call to the Governeor of Davao Oriental and the Provicial Orientation to be attended by the Municipal Mayors, Nurses, PHO staff and other medical practitioners of the province.

I will give you updates on the next day entry of my blog. Thank you so much!

Technical Support to Developing Rural Communities

We had a smooth ride on our way to Barangay Camansi, Montevista, Comval, the last barangay to receive the assessment. Upon reaching the place, participants were already there waiting together with the barangay captain who welcomed us. It was a sunny day and people on that place were all busy. After a short welcome, we were ushered by some participants to the activity area.  We started posting the visuals and that signaled them that the training was about to start.

The preliminaries, introduction of participants and giving of expectations were normally conducted. A short message from the barangay captain welcomed the participants. The activity was participated by the barangay council, barangay health workers, BNS (Barangay Nutrition Scholars) and IP representatives. A brief background of the Project and PRA tools were discussed respectively. Amazingly, participants expressed their ideas, arguments and have also raised concerns. The data presented were validated.

I appreciate how they gave ideas to address the occurrence of the problems in their barangay, especially on health matters. However, participants also find time to give jokes and a spree to laugh but at the same time learning out of it. The explanation of the speakers gave clarity to vague and obscure topics. Participants’ insights were good and provocative. I saw how they are affected with the assessment.

First Activity: Participatory Rapid Assessment/Appraisal

Activity:Participatory Rapid Assessment/Appraisal

Date: Feb. 16, 2015

Venue: Brgy. Hall, Banglasan, Montevista, ComVal Province

                Before the activity I saw the CO’s prepared. After we filled our empty stomach we went to the terminal. The idea of riding a “skylab” was one thing that filled the excitement. It was my first time. We left the Poblacion area around 8:00 am. The weather wasn’t good though. Light rain was pouring. We came down the road and the rain inked the streets. Mountains were covered by white smoke. At first it was a smooth ride until it turned out bad.

                Before we reached the place I saw how people lived their lives. Simple. I saw how they cultivated their crops, how they raised their animals. We crossed a river, schools and other existing projects of the NGO's. I learned that it is not easy to reach a certain place just to give them education and technical support. It takes passion.

                Together with the midwife who happened to conduct the immunization that day, we were welcomed by the barangay captain. We started the assessment immediately. I was task to facilitate the introduction of participants. The activity was attended by the Barangay Captain, BHW’s, a Midwife, BNS, Tribal Chieftain, pastor and representatives from Senior Citizen and the barangay Secretary. I really appreciate the warm welcome of the participants. After that, the background of the project and PRA tools were presented.

                Participants were actively participating. Issues and other medical concerns were raised. The interaction was good. They were assessed in a collective and participatory manner. Some topics were deeply discussed and argued. I saw the problem of the barangay and I was moved by the fact that the activity affects them as to how they view on health.

                The PRA in Banglasan was the first exposure for me. It introduced me into a perspectivewhere I can feel belongingness. The roadtrips, budgeting, ambiance, my team mates, the interactions of the participants and the warm welcome of the people are things that lived my expectations.

A New Experience

Activity: Travel from Davao to Montevista

Time: 1:30 pm

Feb. 15, 2015

                Together with my co-OJT  we traveled  from Davao to Montevista as per advise from our team leader. This idea was formulated to meet the CO’s before the activity on the next day. We traveled for almost four hours. When we were in Davao the team Montevista already contacted us about our status; what terminal; what time is expected for arrival and the like. We arrived at around 4:30 pm. Waited for a couple of minutes and took some rest. Three people showed up and approached us. Upon confirmation and a couple of introductions, we proceed to the rented boarding house. The warm welcome of ate Ruan, ate Haide and kuya Mack was amazing. We unload our baggage and quench our thirst immediately. We were introduced to the owner, landlady and other board mates.

                I really appreciate the fact that they don’t want us to feel intimidated. However, they embraced and accepted us as their brother and sister. We shared the meal with laughter and series of topics.

It's Time for Giving Humanitarian Services

This is travel blog will open you to an adventure and exhilarating experience as I reach out to rural communities in Southern and Western Mindanao. I will experience community immersion and to deal with the rural communities by gathering data in the field of health.

This blog will also uncover places that you have never seen before. The unadulterated areas of Mindanao will be featured here through pictures and videos. My day-to-day activities will be posted here as I go through this journey. The exciting mode of transportation from horses, motorcycles, "skylab" and among others.

Join me as I uncover  places in Mindanao through humanitarian and community development services funded by the European Union and other big NGO's from all over the world.