Oro holds successful health summit

WITH the theme “All for Health towards Health for All in Cagayan de Oro,” City Mayor Oscar Moreno and the 18th City Council headed by Vice Mayor Raineir Joaquin V. Uy, thru the initiative of the City Council committee on health and sanitation and health insurance chaired by Councilor Maria Lourdes Gaane, successfully held the 2017 Cagayan de Oro Health Summit.

Over 400 participants attended the summit including barangay officials with their Barangay Health Workers, Barangay Nutrition Scholars and stakeholders of different sectors.

Mayor Moreno and Vice Mayor Uy, with Councilors Ian Mark Nacaya, Suzette Magtajas-Daba, Jay R. Pascual, Reuben Daba, Yan Lam Lim and Zaldy Ocon graced the summit.

In her welcome address, Councilor Gaane expressed gladness and appreciation for the presence of the city’s major stakeholders in one setting. She said the summit gathered public servants, crossing party lines in pursuit of a common goal, to have a healthy and disease-free city and to tackle issues on the health care delivery system.

During the summit, top officials of national government agencies such as the Department of Health (DOH) and Philhealth, with the local government agencies like the City Health Office, J.R. Borja General Hospital (JRBGH), City Health Insurance Office (CHIO) and City Local Environment and Natural Office (CLENRO) presented their studies and updates to the participants.

As guest speaker, Senator Risa Hontiveros, formerly chair of the Senate Committee on Health, shared her sponsorship of health-related legislative bills for second reading such as the Mental Health Law, Expanded Maternity Leave Bill and Anti-Hospital Deposit Act.

Hontiveros vowed to continue her programs despite being removed from the committee on health and demography on Monday, February 28, 2017.

“We will continue our practices on public health, we must continue to improve our hospitals, improve their bed capacity and bring health practices to the community, re-emphasize sanitation and solid waste management, and develop our cycling practices,” Hontiveros said.

Hontiveros added that despite losing the chairmanship, she will continue to work with the people in legislation for a better health care.

Vice Mayor Kikang Uy, who delivered the closing remarks, congratulated the organizers for the success of the event and thanked all participants who joined the summit.

He expressed hopes that next year’s health summit will be even better and more lively.