Issue No. 69 - March - April 2012 - DOH

Making importance of its numerous recognitions, no less than Davao City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte (fourth from left) is present to receive the OHLAAGovernment Office Category.constituents was discouraging. This situationwas elevated to the local officials during alocal health board meeting and they decidedto issue an ordinance in March 2011 for anintensive and comprehensive program.Although self-change to break a bad habitis difficult and would take a very long timeto do, with the ordinance in effect somehowforced people to abide with the law in orderto avoid penalties. A multi-sectoral taskforce was also organized and a battlecry wascoined to bring home the message – “MagHL Tayo, Tayo’y Aasenso Kapag May Sipag,Tiyaga at Malasakit (STM).” The proponentsof this advocacy program are Mayor SalimarT. Mondejar and Municipal Health Officer, Dr.Lumira M. Lagapa.Government Office CategoryDavao City Health Office. Thecity’s healthy lifestyle program is a uniquemix of a wide range of initiatives for theprevention and control of NCD risk factors20 HEALTHbeat I March - April 2012that span at least five years in combinedimplementation. The program includes themulti-awarded anti-smoking program. Itwould later become the standard emulatedby other LGUs in the country. The programalso integrated the nutrition programsthat include food fortification, Gulayan saBarangay and community-based feedingprograms, among others. Mental Healthprogram is being implemented down tothe barangay level with strengthenedlinkage with the Philippine Mental HealthAssociation to further advance its technicalcapacity. Davao City has also establishedcenters and institutions for mental health,for women and children in crisis, andrehabilitation centers for drug dependentsand people suffering from alcohol abuse.Physical activity is also included in theProgram where government agencies,private institutions and malls are initiatingactivities to promote healthy lifestyleamong individuals in the city. Central tothese initiatives is the Integrated NCDManagement Program, popularly known asthe Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Program,which started in 2007. The CVD Programprovides concrete interventions usingpopulation-wide strategies for physicalactivity, tobacco cessation, diet and nutrition,promotion of stress-free environment, andNCD risk factors education.Non-GovernmentOrganization CategoryEpiscopal Diocese of NorthernPhilippines – Bontoc, MountainProvince. True to its mission of nurturingcongregations as good stewards of creation,the diocese implements its comprehensivehealthy lifestyle program: 1) HealthyLifestyle Advocacy through Health Sundaycelebration and other occasions; 2) NoSmoking Campaign; 3) Liquor Ban; 4)Junking Junk Foods; 5) Health AssistancePlan; 6) Organic Food Production (herbaland vegetable gardening in mission schools;