DOH, CHED ink order to ‘better serve’ nurses, healthcare workers IN BRIEF

Solon seeks wider info drive on breast cancer

TAGAYTAY City Rep. Aniela Bianca Tolentino has called for a broader information dissemination campaign on breast cancer prevention, saying deaths from the dreaded disease among women continue to increase in the country. Tolentino, a staunch women’s health advocate, made the call during the recent launch of the “Breastie Bestie” health caravan, a principal component of a breast cancer awareness program that she initiated in Cavite.

She said the program seeks to ensure public awareness about breast cancer. Family members are also enjoined to learn more about the disease for better prevention effort.

“Based on medical resources, the early detection and diagnosis of breast cancer are key to saving lives of women from this disease. Through the Breastie Bestie program, we want our Filipino women to be aware that while advances in medical science have made treatment readily available, early discovery of breast cancer remains the key prescription to saving more lives,” said Tolentino, vice chair of the House committee on science and technology. Maricel V. Cruz

DOH admits shortage of drug facilities in PH

THE Department of Health (DOH) has admitted that the country lacks drug treatment and rehabilitation centers (TRCs), as well as doctors, nurses, psychologists, and social workers providing services in these facilities.

During the launch of a DOH training program in addiction in its TRC-Bicutan branch, Dr. Alfonso Villaroman said there were around 1.3 million drug users recorded in the Philippines in 2019 and of which, but only one percent of them were considered as drug dependents.

At present, there are only 32 government TRCs nationwide.

Villaroman said each facility has around 100 beds, translating to accommodation an estimated 3,200 patients.

“Probably less than 10,000 ang kailangan ipasok sa rehabilitation center [people need to be placed in rehabilitation centers]. Ang general problem natin [our general problem is]—where do we put all of them?” he asked.

Section 75 of Republic Act No. 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, states that the national government, through its appropriate agencies, “shall give priority funding for the increase of subsidy to existing government drug rehabilitation centers, and shall establish at least one drug rehabilitation center in each province, depending on the availability of funds.”

PCG gets first VTOL drone from UN agency

THE Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) received a Hybrid Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) Drone from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in a turnover ceremony at the PCG headquarters in Manila.

According to Dodeca’s Research and Development Team that prototyped the donation, it was the very first hybrid VTOL drone built by Filipinos, to be owned and operated by the Philippine government to enhance the country’s monitoring capabilities, ensuring safe coasts and shorelines.

PCG chief Admiral Artemio Abu, thanked the UNODC for the donation that will be utilized by the Coast Guard Aviation Force (CGAF) in conducting surveillance missions.

“We look forward to continuing this partnership as we work together to navigate the future of maritime law enforcement,” Admiral Abu said. Vince Lopez

By Gabriellea B. Pariño

THE Department of Health (DOH) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) have joined forces in their commitment to better serve Filipino nurses and other healthcare workers. Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa and CHED chairman Prospero De Vera III signed a joint administrative order (JAO) in a ceremony held in Parañaque City to establish the new implementing guidelines for the Nurse Workforce Complementation and Upskilling Program.

“This program serves as an embodiment of our commitment to all our healthcare workers, especially to our dear nurses, in providing them with the services and benefits that they truly deserve,” Herbosa said.

He assured the public that the DOH

Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa and CHED chairman Prospero De Vera III prioritizes the welfare of health workers in line with the agency’s eight-point action agenda as they work to achieve Universal Healthcare (UHC) in the country.

The order aims to set the guidelines and mechanisms that will facilitate hiring and upskilling of underboard nursing graduates as Clinical Care Associates (CCAs) in both public and private hospitals as augmentation to the health workforce and in preparation for the Philippine Nursing Licensure Examination (PNLE), according to the DOH.

“This will aid in the further fulfillment of the UHC promise wherein every Filipino’s life is important in the formation of a new Philippines,” Herbosa added.

The alliance between the two agencies was among the many steps to resolve the nurse-related crisis faced by the Health Department.

Herbosa earlier proposed the hiring of unlicensed nurses as a temporary measure to address the nurse shortage problem in the country, adding that only graduates who scored 70 to 74 percent in the licensure exams would qualify under the setup.

For his part, De Vera said CHED would see to the direct hiring of nursing graduates, especially those with exit credentials, in privately owned healthcare facilities.

The DOH has reported that more than half of Filipino nurses, estimated at some 316,400 have migrated to other countries.

Meanwhile, 175,900 nurses currently serve in the private and public health institutions within the country, 19 percent of whom were underemployed, unemployed or working in other sectors such as business or information technology.

San Beda Alabang picked as Supreme Court headquarters for 2023 Bar examinations

THE San Beda College Alabang (SBCA) in Muntinlupa City will be the national headquarters of the Supreme Court (SC) for the 2023 online and regionalized Bar examinations set on Sept. 17, 20, and 24.

This came after SBCA and the SC signed an agreement on the matter, represented by Rector-President Fr. Gerardo Ma. De Villa and en banc clerk of court Marife Lomibao Cuevas.

Witnesses in the contract signing were SC Justice Ramon Paul Hernando, chairperson of the 2023 Bar examinations committee, and SBCA College of Law Dean Ulpiano Sarmiento III.

There will be 14 local testing centers (LTCs) for the 2023 Bar exams. In the National Capital Region, the LTCs will be at the San Beda University, Manila; University of Santo Tomas, Manila; SBCA; University of the Philippines,

Quezon City; Manila Adventist College, Pasay City; and University of the Philippines, Bonifacio Global City.

In Luzon, the LTCs will be at the Saint Louis University in Baguio City; Cagayan State University, Tuguegarao City; and University of Nueva Caceres, Naga City.

In the Visayas, University of San Jose-Recoletos in Cebu City, University of San Carlos also in Cebu City, and Dr. V. Orestes Romualdez Educational Foundation in Tacloban City will be the LTCs.

There will be two LTCs in Mindanao —one at the Ateneo de Davao University in Davao City and the other at the Xavier University in Cagayan de Oro City.

Instead of eight subjects, the 2023 Bar exams will only have six core subjects. Rey E. Requejo

A CONSENSUS was forged during a forum on the issue of water sustainability among representatives of the government, stakeholders the private sector that a whole-of-society approach was crucial to address the country’s water crisis.

The agreement arose amid discussions dubbed “Philippine Water Management

Agenda: Ensuring Sustainability and Security” organized by the the think tank Stratbase ADR Institute, in collaboration with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Philippine Business for Environmental Stew- ardship (PBEST). During the forum, Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga said that the government alone cannot address water concerns.

“By addressing water related challenges comprehensively, [it] will require us to unlock the potential for transformative change across all sectors of society, and this should include the most vulnerable… Maintaining our watersheds plays a significant role in ensuring that a robust quantity and appropriate quality of water is available for our youth. For these efforts, we have also now partnered with the private sector and will continue to do so as we recognize that the government cannot do this alone. Everyone’s contribution is required and deeply appreciated,” Loyzaga explained.

She also cited the importance of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Executive Order No. 22 issued last April creating the Water Resources Management Office under the DENR and harmonizes government efforts in water management, which used to be handled by numerous separate and fragmented agencies.

“This is the first time, I believe, that we have a DPWH Secretary that has also reached out to the DENR and to the other related water agencies to work together with them. This type of convergence ways of work are really where the secret is in terms of acceleration and what we can achieve. Secretary Bonoan has in fact invited us to be part of the technical advising and management of these different projects, and this opens the door for collaboration between the water related agencies and DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways),” Loyzaga said.