Continuing Education for Community Health
Comprised of community leaders and learners’ parents, there were 24 participants in all. Members of Magsaragpun Tagbanua, their community core group, were also in attendance.
The facilitators were Dr. Israel Zantua (Municipal Health Officer of the Municipal Health and Nutrition Office of Culion), Pia Ortiz-Luis (Executive Director of Cartwheel PH), and Antonette Bacsain (Program Officer for Health of Cartwheel PH). Among the facilitating team members were Chrislyn Da-aw (Program Development Associate of Cartwheel PH) and Jessica Kenio, volunteer documenter.
The value of good health
The first two sessions enabled participants to raise their shared health concerns and express their own understanding of what it means to be healthy.
Most of their queries focused on food and nutrition, physical health and sanitation, as well as environmental health. The concepts they associate with good health are much related to their health concerns, strength (kalakasan), food (pagkain), and cleanliness (kalinisan).
Common illnesses, cures, and means of prevention
Through creative role-playing, participants shared that their families’ common illnesses are often cough and colds (ubo at sipon), and the flu (trangkaso). Dr. Zantua provided input on proper care and medication for these, emphasizing the importance of regular water intake and proper diet. He also responded to consultations about personal and more specific health concerns the Tagbanua raised.
Collaboration for health
As a final session, participants reviewed the health-related concerns they listed during their last training in 2018. From the list, they identified three priorities to work on for 2019: clean and accessible water, food and nutrition, and toilets for their homes.
Community representatives committed to set a meeting with the owner of the neared clean water source and take necessary steps to access potable water for the families of Sitio Alulad.
