Another journey

The success of the "Journey to Peace: Understanding Muslim and Christian Commonalities" forums sponsored by the Center for the Promotion of Peace and Development in Mindanao (CPPDM) is gauged by the numerous requests from different sectors to hold such a forum in different parts of the country. The last forum was held at the SEARCA in UP Los Banos recently, and the next venue will be the Asian Social Institute in Manila, to be attended by representatives of the 26 chapters of the Young Women’s Christian Association.

To support the next "Journeys", CPPDM is sponsoring a golf tournament at the Philippine Navy Golf Club at Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City, on August 26. Very important persons at the ceremonial tee-off, and in the game are Speaker Joe de Venecia Jr., former President Fidel V. Ramos, Mrs. Ming Ramos, Senator Richard "Dick" Gordon, Malaysian Ambassador Iskandar Sarudn, and former Foreign Affairs Secretary and Ambassador-designate to Germany Delia Albert. Local and foreign community leaders, peace builders, businessmen, legislators, and academicians will join them.

CPPDM Director General Saeed A. Daof explains that "Journey to Peace: Understanding Muslim and Christian Commonalities’ is a series of Muslim-Christian dialogues. Experts talk on the commonalities between Islam and Christianity on matters of religion, laws, cultural practices and family life, after which an open forum follows. "The dialogues are meant to facilitate the breaking down of barriers of misunderstanding and misperceptions between Muslims and Christians, thereby promoting peaceful relations between them," Daof said.

But "Journeys" are more than just dialogues. Another set of experts in varied disciplines and endeavors and participants identify and prioritize projects and/or activities that may be pursued, and implemented by Christians and Muslims.

In essence, "Journey to Peace" has demonstrated its viability and effectiveness in creating awareness, and in galvanizing interest to promote and develop projects or activities that could immensely contribute to attaining a lasting peace, and sustained and balanced development on the ground. At the UP Los Baños forum, projects suggested to be promoted are periodic social gatherings, and games and sports for adults and children, neighborhood watch, community gardening and tree planting, etc.

On a higher plane, projects in the areas of food security, agricultural crops modernization, waste management, environmental concerns, fishery development, micro-financing, energy resource development, infrastructure development, tourism, trade, and other viable livelihood and/or business undertakings that could be developed anywhere in the country are discussed for further in-depth study and promotion.

Believing in the cause that peacebuilding and conflict transformation should be addressed and accepted on the ground, donors have sent support for the Journey through the August 26 golf tournament. Among them: Philippine Air Lines, the Lopez Group, Pfizer, Metrobank, Allied Bank, GSIS, PAGCOR, Mirant, and Chartered Bank.

A partial list of individuals and companies sending gifts to be raffled off to players includes: Philippine Wines and Spirits, Anthony Trillo Wines, Lamoiyan, Coleman, Le Soufle, Bangus Restaurant, Via Mare, Bridges/Unilever/Lady’s Choice, Mama Sita, Manila Hotel, Westin Philippine Plaza Hotel, Mandarin Hotel, Reli German, Donnie Ramirez.

Participants are requested to phone in their reservations early. For particulars, call or fax 9283825. If the phone line is clogged, contact CPPDM by e-mail sdaof2000@ yahoo.com or [email protected].

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I received several inquiries via the Internet about the ten strategic solutions to the current crisis in health human resources development recommended by Drs. Jaimes Z. Galvez-Tan, Fernando S. Sanchez, and Virginia L. Balanon which I promised in a column last July, to write on in a subsequent column. Here they are, in abbreviated form due to space constraints.

The strategic solutions, according to Galvez-Tan et al. are "not aimed to prevent nurses, doctors, nor doctors who have become nurses and other health professionals from leaving the country. The goal is to tame the mass exodus to the Northern countries, achieve a rational programmed departure of our health professionals and secure a win-win situation for the Philippines and the importing countries."

The first four are to be acted upon by cooperative global action.

1) The initiation of high-level bilateral negotiations with the major Northern Countries importing health human resources, namely, the US, UK, Saudi Arabia, Ireland and Singapore and the Philippines’ 14 government agencies can lead to an annual development assistance to fund investment packages for HHRD particularly for health professions scholarships, and compensation for every health professional transfer by the receiving country.

2) North-South agreements specifying an amount in US dollars to be given to the exporting health facility for every health professional that US hospitals acquire. The money will go to a trust fund for the training of health professionals and improving working conditions in the health facility.

3) The General Agreement on Trade and Services (GATS) of the World Trade Organization (WTO) identifies health services and health professional services as commercial goods and services that can be traded across and among countries. The Philippine panel must create pressure to have health service commodity trading included in the next WTO meeting agenda.

4) Importing and exporting countries must have a regular sharing of health human resources data and policies. The Philippines must know the changing policies on migration of health professionals of the US or the UK.

On the part of the Philippines, Galvez-Tan et al. recommend national strategic solutions as follows:

5) Creation of a National Commission on Health Human Resource Development in order to oversee the planning, production, deployment, retention and development of all health professionals in the country.

6) The Philippines is the only country in Southeast Asia without a National Health Service Act. This Act requires, among other things, medical and nursing graduates who enjoyed subsidized education, to render service in a public or private facility equivalent to the number of years of their study.

7) Establishment of a health professional registry to locate and monitor health human resources availability for deployment or transfer.

8) Creation of a civil society organizations-led National Councils for Nursing and Medical Concerns which will analyze the current state of health professionals’ development and formulate recommendations for policies and action.

9) Development of new learning and career opportunities for doctors and nurses.

Such new career tracks include health economics and financing for doctors, and nurse counselors, midwife and nurse wellness advisory and community nursing for nurses.

10) Initiate reforms in health financing and management of medical education. The step-ladder curriculum started by the UP School of Health Sciences in Palo, Leyte, allowing the graduated training of nurses and doctors, from village barefoot worker to nurse to doctor decreases cost of training health professionals.

According to Galvez Tan et al., to avert the health crisis, "there is a need for solidarity with the importing countries of the North. However, such global and bilateral actions must be matched by national political will to institute the strategic solutions at the country level. The long-term and short-term solutions have been laid out. The situation is just waiting for political will and action."

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My e-mail: [email protected]