Parañaque health program wins Galing Pook Award

MANILA, Philippines - In recognition of its efforts to promote better health services in the city, the Parañaque city government was chosen to receive the prestigious Galing Pook Award for Outstanding Local Governance, alongside provincial, local, and barangay government units that implemented equally innovative programs in their locales.

The award is given annually by the Galing Pook Foundation to government units that have outstanding programs which made positive impact in their respective areas.  This year, the foundation is awarding 14 local governance programs in what it terms as a banner year since it usually gives only 10 awards.

Parañaque has been recognized for its adolescent-friendly reproductive health services (AFRHS) program, an advocacy that aims to promote and provide adolescent-defined quality health services responsive to the needs and protection of the adolescents through equitable relationships of the local government unit, multi-sectoral partners, and communities based on adolescent-friendly standards.

Nurturing the program, the Parañaque city government enacted Ordinance No. 06-07, series of 2008, an ordinance establishing the AFRHS in all barangay health centers in the city.

After more than three years of program implementation, it has achieved its initial purposes, including establishing adolescent-friendly reproductive health services; creating functional referral system; and building the capacity of health service providers.

Creatively responding to opportunities that have presented themselves over the years, the program has posted gains that are much more vast and extensive than these initial purposes, among them: 1) Advocating for local policies and budget allocations in support of better reproductive health services for adolescents; 2) Facilitating participation of adolescents in increasing the access of young people to health services; 3) Raising the bar for standards of adolescent-friendly reproductive health services provision; 4) Replicating the program in other sites of the city; 5) Implementing special events for the benefit of adolescents like “The First Parañaque City Youth Health Summit,” “Youth Shines in Parañaque City”; and 6) Transforming adolescents to citizens who are concerned not only about their welfare but also about other issues such as the environment and health of fellow citizens, among others.

“The AFRH program has been instrumental in shaping the hearts and minds of the youth in Parañaque. It has motivated them to participate actively in issues and concerns that affect them. Parañaque is taking the lead in scaling up services for the youth. With the AFRHS in place, health problems of the youth are mainly identified, monitored, and managed,” says Parañaque Mayor Jun Bernabe.