Residents and village officials of Barangay Acmonan, Tupi, South Cotabato expressed their gratitude for the Lakbay Buhay Kalusugan caravan conducted at the barangay hall compound of Acmonan last January 24, 2014. The caravan ,done in partnership with Dole Philippines, Inc.; the Municipal Local Government of Tupi , the Integrated Provincial Health Office and Greenleaf Hotel -Gensan , signaled the official launch of the HIMSOG-Tupi (Health Initiatives, Mitigations, Services and Opportunities for Growth of Tupi) Project , a multi-agency and multi sectoral consortium to assist the LGU in promoting Health, Nutrition, Environmental Sanitation and Community Safety programs.
Alveliza Francisco, 24 years old, 5 months pregnant with her second child , also brought her 3-year old daughter and her niece to avail of the services of the caravan. “ Budlay gid abi kung magkasakit kay layo pa ang hospital. Kis-a gani bisan check up lang indi gid namon mahimo kay wala kuwarta bisan pamasahe na lang sa skylab. Amo na nga kung may mga libre nga serbisyo pareho sini, kinahanglan gid nga maka-pacheck up para mabulong dayon kung may ginabatyag nga gamay” (It’s very difficult when someone in the family is sick because the hospital is far. We can’t have routine check-ups because we don’t have money even to pay for our fare. That is why when we knew of free health services , we really have to avail of it to receive medication for our ailments) ,she said.
Brgy. Captain Cawade Piang, Jr. likewise thanked Dolefil for the medical-dental mission because it was the first time that the residents of Barangay Acmonan availed of such extensive services including lectures on safe motherhood, dengue prevention and control, TB prevention and control and environmental sanitation.
466 residents availed of the free medical consultation, 30 patients had oral examinations and 37 had free tooth extractions , 300 children given hot meals and received hygiene kits from Greenleaf Hotel and canned pineapple products from Dolefil .
Present during the program launch were Mr. Jorge Paez, Dolefil Director for Agriculture Operations together with the Tupi zone managers and farm in charge, MFI Executive Director Martiniano Magdolot, department heads and volunteers from LGU Tupi, Greenleaf Hotel General Manager Angel Kanapi Jr. and the Barangay Council of Acmonan.
