DOH-MLGP 2016 Yields 9 EV Mayor-Graduates

TACLOBAN CITY - Nine local government chief executives from Eastern Visayas (EV) successfully finished the Municipal Leadership and Governance Program (MLGP) jointly initiated by the Department of Health (DOH), Zuellig Family Foundation and University of the Philippines Manila School of Health Sciences (UP-MSHS) in a colloquium ceremony, in September 29, 2016 at Asian Institute of Management (AIM) Conference Center, Makati City.

With this year's (2016) 9 graduates, namely Gemma Zosa of Sta. Margarita Samar, Kathleen Prudenciado of Almagro Samar, Marilou Latorre of Villareal Samar, Mark Biong of Giporlos, Eastern Samar, Mario Nadera of Mondragon, Northern Samar; Loreto Yu of Alang-Alang Leyte, Fe Renomeron of Burauen Leyte, Alden Avestruz of Barugo and Manuel Sia-que of Dulag Leyte, there are now a total of 49 EV Mayors that completed the MLGP of the Department of Health.

The MLGP is a one-year, two-module program offered by DOH for town mayors and municipal health officers to capacitate them and help them improve their governance in the health sector, health service delivery, health workforce, health information, access to essential medicines and healthcare financing.

Vulnerability to impoverishment caused by medical expenses remains high when almost all of the people in Eastern Visayas dig deeper into their pockets to pay doctors, pharmacies and diagnostic centers while very low budget for health care continues to be a predicament for local government units.

According to Dr. Exuperia Sabalberino of DOH regional office 8,”there is a need to improve the current scenario because spending high is not a solution.”

Remarkable with the MLGP is making the DOH and LGUs follow a bottom-up approach that is starting coverage with the rural population and poorest groups which now finds several LGUs in Eastern Visayas rapidly scaling up respective interventions to the larger segments of the population.

DOH urge the town mayors to give budgetary allocations to their health programs and to ensure that all people can access health care without financial hardship. (CJ/jmm/JAZMIN BONIFACIO)