BSN 3B Compendium

Republic of the Philippines
NUEVA ECIJA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Cabanatuan City
ISO 9001:2015 Certified
College of Nursing
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Subject
Community Health Nursing II (NCM 113)
COMPENDIUM
Submitted by:
BSN 3B
Submitted to:
CECILLE L. ALDAY, MAN, RN, LPT
December 2022
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE………………………………………………………………………………..……1
INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………………………..……5
I: PHILIPPINE HEALTH SITUATION…………………………………………………...…….8
ARTICLE: An introduction to the healthcare system in the Philippines………......9
NEWS: Beyond the pandemic: Ensuring efficient health care services………....17
JOURNAL: An Evaluation of the Philippine Healthcare System:

Preparing for a Robust Public Health in the Future………………………………..22
RESEARCH: Challenges in public health facilities and services:

Evidence from a geographically isolated and disadvantaged
area in the Philippines……........................................................................………25
II: COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIP………………………………………………27
ARTICLE: The Value of Partnerships in

Community Development……...…………………………...…………………………28
NEWS: DepEd emphasizes importance of partnership on school

health programs…………………………………………………………………..……31
JOURNAL: Overview: Partnerships and Collaboration: What Skills are

Needed?..............................................................................................................33
RESEARCH: Collaborative marketing for the sustainable development

of community-based tourism enterprises: voices from the field…………………..36
III: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNITY HEALTH ……………………. 40
ARTICLE: Acceptability of Information Technology Systems
Transforming Communities through Science and Technology

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Developed for Distant Philippine Communities among Local Health
Providers…………………………………………………………………………..…... 41
NEWS: PH continues leveraging ICT solutions for health……………………..… 43
JOURNAL: Use of Information and Communication Technologies

(ICT) in Community Health Programmes……………...…………………………… 46
RESEARCH:Implementation of eHealth Technology in Community

Health Care: The Complexity of Stakeholder Involvement………………………. 48
IV: CURRENT TRENDS IN PUBLIC HEALTH: GLOBAL AND NATIONAL……….…..50
ARTICLE: International response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic:

Planning for success………………………………………...……………….……..…51
NEWS: Philippines Addresses Rising Trend in New HIV Infections……………. 53
JOURNAL: Protecting Young Women from HIV/AIDS: The Case Against

Child and Adolescent Marriage……………………………………………………... 56
RESEARCH: Trends and emerging directions in HIV risk and
prevention research in the Philippines: A systematic review of the literature…. 58
V: DELIVERY OF HEALTHCARE TO THE FILIPINO FAMILY AND COMMUNITY … 61
ARTICLE: Health Care in the Philippines:
An Overview of the Philippine Healthcare System …………………………..…… 62
NEWS: Opinion: The Philippine Health Care System Was Never Ready for the
Pandemic Manila
(CNN Philippine life) ………………………………………………………...……….. 69

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JOURNAL: The Philippine Health System Review
Current Trends and Challenges Encountered in the Road to Achieving Universal

Health Care Coverage ………………………………………………………………. 73
RESEARCH: Connecting Primary Communities to Primary Care:
A qualitative study on the roles, motivations and lived experiences of community

health workers in the Philippines …………………………………………………… 76
VI: HEALTH-RELATED ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVITY………………………….……80
ARTICLE: Health-Related Entrepreneurial Activities in the Community

Setting…………………………………………………………………………….……..81
NEWS: Entrepreneurs and Covid-19 Solving Problems of Today for a

Better Tomorrow……………………………………………………………….……….89
JOURNAL: Health-Related Entrepreneurial Activities………………….…..…….92
RESEARCH: Entrepreneurial Activity in Community Health

Promotion Organizations: Findings from an Ethnographic Study……..………….99
CONCLUSION……………………………………………………………….………….……102
REFERENCES……………………………………………………………….……...……….112

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INTRODUCTION
Philippine Health Situation
The Philippines has made significant investments and advances in health in

recent years. Rapid economic growth and strong country capacity have contributed to
Filipinos living longer and healthier. However, not all the benefits of this growth have
reached the most vulnerable groups, and the health system remains fragmented. This is
why information about the country’s current health situation is important, so the health
implementers can identify the proper strategies and intervention to solve the problems.
Collaboration and Partnership
The problems in the community are usually too many and too complicated for the
nurse, the people, or the organization to handle. This is why collaboration and
partnership is important, as these problems cannot be solved by the community alone.
Solving problems, especially health-related problems, would be a lot quicker if it is done
through partnerships, as the ideas, resources, and skills will be pooled together. Also,
collaboration builds a good, trusting relationship among organizations and will allow
each of them to enhance their existing knowledge and skills as they learn with and from
each other.
Information Technology and Community Health
As modernization expands healthcare into the community, individuals and

families are starting to have growing responsibilities for self-care and illness prevention
and management as well, for nurses and physicians are not the only ones with the
control for their well-being. Opportunely, information technology has the power to bring
patients into full partnership with health care providers and can offer us the equipment
required to ensure that patients and people in the community are prepared to handle
these challenges. There are numerous ways that information technology is being
utilized to enhance patient safety, healthcare delivery, and communication between

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healthcare providers and patients. One of the most remarkable applications of
information technology in the world of community health is patient records and data
management such as electronic health records modalities which can help them to feel
more knowledgeable about their conditions and encourages them to actively participate
in shared decision making.
Current Trend in Public Health: Global and National
Public health is an exciting, dynamic sector where practitioners have the chance
to have a positive impact consistently. Public health specialists work to reduce
healthcare disparities, advance equity, and generally enhance the residents of their
communities access to good health. Furthermore, the topic mentioned above is most
likely to significantly impact public health, having an immediate impact on both the
education and services that public health professionals offer. By keeping up with these
trends, you can put yourself in a position of power in your industry and be prepared for
the demands that will be made of you.
Delivery of Healthcare to the Filipino Family and Community

Healthcare is every aspect, service, and device associated with caring for one's
health (Wax, 2019). Every human being with no distinction of race, religion, political
belief, economic, or social condition has a fundamental right to enjoy the highest
attainable health (Ghebreyesus, 2017). Earlier in 2019, the Philippine Government
approved Republic Act 11223, or the Universal Health Care (UHC) Law, which allows all
Filipinos inclusive, quality, and cost-effective medical procedures that bridge healthcare
inequities (Orange Health Consultants, 2021). Despite the UHC, there are still concerns
about unequal access to healthcare, particularly in rural regions and among low-wage
earners. Within the community, community health workers like Barangay Health
Workers (BHWs) and Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNS) play a crucial role in providing
information regarding overall health, offering first aid, maternal and child health care,
environmental health care, collaborate with local organizations, and referrals to a health
care center. Volunteers significantly impact their communities as the Filipino workforce

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needs more contributions to increase the country's economy and quality of life. Today,
as the world faces various challenges in the health setting, the healthcare system needs
more workforce, financial funding, and support from its people to withstand future
catastrophes. Improving a collaborative commitment between the country's government
and the public is one way to achieve a more sustainable, resilient, and established
healthcare system resulting in a healthier nation.
Health-Related Entrepreneurial Activity
Worldwide entrepreneurial endeavors have become increasingly common as the

young generation, or the millennials, started thinking that work or jobs are not enough
and making ways to generate wealth, applying it in a healthcare setting or health in
general, as professionals like nurses or doctors creating products or offering special
services with helping the masses in mind by vitamins with lower prices, health
promotion, and disease prevention. Healthcare providers like nurses being an
entrepreneur focusing on the community and having a good mindset is essential. A
nurse entrepreneur offers nursing services as a form of business. The idea frequently
caters to health promotion, disease prevention, rehabilitation, and management
consultancies; these services suit the community as they cater to them.

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Article/News/Journal/Research 1:
PHILIPPINE HEALTH SITUATION
Members:
Aguilar, Kerstin Joy B.
Arive, Edyson Aurius C.
Boquiren, Von Jocel O.
Cajucom, Farrah Rose T.
Carbonell, Joselle I.
Carlos, Gavin Isaac M.
Chavez, Tharikah B.
Corpuz, Charles Chip Steven S.

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ARTICLE: PHILIPPINE HEALTH SITUATION
An introduction to the healthcare system in the Philippines
By Future Learn | Published on 2022
An overview of the Philippines healthcare system
Although public hospital staff are highly skilled, public healthcare in the
Philippines still has significant geographical disparities. The Philippines’ public
healthcare system is outstanding in metropolitan areas yet inadequate in rural areas. An
enormous number of Filipinos rely on public healthcare. Yet, there is a trend for Filipino
medical staff to emigrate to Western countries, which puts the system under strain. As a
result, certain hospitals are understaffed, and patients may see a delay in treatment.
Philhealth, a government-owned company, oversees public healthcare in the

Philippines. Although Philhealth covers some medical treatments and expenses, such
as inpatient care and non-emergency procedures, it does not cover all medical
treatments and costs.For foreigners working in the Philippines, enrolling in Philhealth is
a must. Employers, employee salaries, and the state all contribute to Philhealth. Expats
can enroll in Philhealth if they are legally residents in the Philippines.
Despite the healthcare issues in the Philippines, the system is steadily improving.
This is due to government measures that are bringing the country closer to a universal
system. As a result, PhilHealth provides free medical treatment to all Filipino citizens.
With the passage of the Universal Healthcare Act in early 2019, PhilHealth expanded its
coverage to include consultations and lab tests. In addition, all Filipino citizens will
automatically be registered in the national programme.

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What are Health Management Organisations (HMOs)?
The private and public healthcare sectors are linked throughout the country.
Health Management Organizations, or HMOs, provide a wide range of services. HMOs
are similar to private healthcare providers.
Patients are assigned to certain providers within a network that is based on a

system of reimbursement. Most Filipino employees are enrolled in an HMO as part of
their employer’s benefits package. HMOs and PhilHealth are complementary systems,
with HMOs covering costs not covered by the PhilHealth plan.
How healthcare in the Philippines is funded
The Philippines established the PhilHealth programme in 1995 with the goal of
providing universal coverage at an affordable price. PhilHealth is a government-run
and-funded organisation. It is funded by municipal and national government subsidies,
as well as company and employee contributions. In addition, the programme provides a
variety of medical plans based on income, age, and condition.
An overview of Philhealth membership options
The six PhilHealth membership categories are:

● Sponsored Members People subsidised by the local government.
● Indigents Those without income (or with very low income) fall into this category.
● Lifetime Members Retirees and pensioners above the age of 60 who have paid
premiums for at least 120 months. These members do not need to pay.
● Senior Citizens Some people above the age of 60 are eligible for free PhilHealth
coverage. This, however, is not the same as being a lifetime member. It applies
to seniors who are not currently covered by any of PhilHealth’s existing
membership categories.
● Formal Sector Employees of both public and private businesses.

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● Informal Economy Self-employed individuals, migratory labourers, and those who
do not easily fit into the Formal Sector. This is a popular choice among expats.
Differences between private and public healthcare in the Philippines
In the Philippines, as in most other nations, private treatment provides several

additional benefits to patients. Newer, cleaner and more comfortable facilities are
available. Staff are multilingual and wait times are less. However, you do not have to go
to a private hospital to see an English-speaking doctor as almost all doctors and nurses
are fluent in English. Many Filipino medical professionals work in English-speaking
countries abroad.
The Philippines’ healthcare system relies heavily on private providers. About

30% of the Philippine population uses the private healthcare system as their main
source of care. Most hospitals – almost 60% – are also privately owned. Furthermore,
medical tourism is an important part of the economy, which explains why there are so
many private hospitals and speciality clinics.Many public hospitals, particularly those in
large cities, provide excellent care and diagnostic services. However, this does not
apply to all public facilities. If you choose public health care, a local friend or coworker
can advise you on which hospitals and clinics provide the best care.
What are the requirements for PhilHealth?
The main requirement for PhilHealth is that you need to be a legal resident of the
Philippines – this includes foreign residents. The Informal Economy membership group
is the best fit for most foreigners. The annual fees are often less than $100. Foreigners
who are married to a Philippine national can also be covered as dependents.
Tourists and other short-term visitors, on the other hand, are not covered by
PhilHealth. They must have their own travel insurance to cover medical costs.

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Health options for expats and tourists in the Philippines
Expats who want to sign up for healthcare in the Philippines should contact
PhilHealth first. For people in the Formal Sector and Informal Economy groups, there is
a convenient online registration process. Foreign citizens should also register with their
local health providers ahead of time. The types of hospitals and doctors to which you
will have access will be limited. Many private health care providers, especially for
foreign nationals, will have significant wait times or restricted availability.
Although the government-run PhilHealth system is available to all residents of the

Philippines, you may wish to supplement it with a commercial worldwide medical plan.
As previously stated, the private plan will be much more accessible than the public plan,
as there will be far more private hospitals than public hospitals. You’ll have a shorter
wait for treatment and better access to health services. Private health insurance policies
also give you the freedom to seek treatment anywhere in the world, including in your
own country.
In the Philippines, private healthcare is well-established and growing. Although

doctors at public hospitals are just as good as those in private hospitals, private
institutions are far better equipped and treatment is usually faster. Locals consider
private services expensive, but most expats will find them cheap. The Philippines’
growing appeal as a medical tourism destination is linked to the relative affordability of
private treatment.
Tourists should consult their doctor at least six weeks before their trip to the
Philippines to verify that they are up to date on their vaccinations. In the Philippines,
mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis and the
chikungunya virus pose a health risk despite low infection rates. Preventative
techniques, such as sleeping under a mosquito net and wearing insect repellent, are the
best ways to avoid them.

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Healthcare issues in the Philippines
The Philippine healthcare system faces significant issues – here are some of the
biggest.
Brain drain
“Brain drain” – the exodus of highly qualified people from a country – is a severe
concern for the Philippines’ healthcare system. Many talented Filipino doctors find work
in other countries, leaving the medical industry understaffed.
There is only one physician for every 33,000 people in the country, which is much
lower than in other countries. Furthermore, the issue does not only affect doctors. From
dentists to midwives, the average practitioner-to-patient ratio is poor and shows no sign
of improvement. Recent legislation, however, has made provisions for medical students
to receive funding to begin their careers in their home country.
Shortcomings in addiction treatment and care
The fight against illegal narcotics is ruthless – thousands of people accused of

drug trafficking have been killed on the spot. In addition, anyone caught using illegal
narcotics faces lengthy prison sentences.
Many users have voluntarily surrendered due to their fear of death from street
violence and police interactions. Where people can access them, government-run
rehabilitation facilities provide a safe haven from police brutality and “street justice” –
but most are overburdened.
Overworked physicians are no longer able to provide one-on-one therapy to

addicts. Activists also argue that the root causes of addiction, such as hunger and
poverty, are not being addressed. For expats and Filipinos with sufficient financial
resources, obtaining treatment abroad may be the only option.

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Slow emergency response
The quality of ambulance services varies substantially across the Philippines – a

problem exacerbated by a lack of legislation around the functioning of emergency
services. As a result, emergency services are often slow to react and pre-hospital care
may be inadequate.
Private ambulances typically have more experienced personnel and better

equipment, as well as faster response times. Monthly payments for private ambulance
services are common or form part of a general medical insurance package. Ambulance
services are available at several private hospitals.
The best healthcare jobs in the Philippines
Working in the Philippine healthcare system will, by and large, provide you with
stable and satisfactory employment. These are some of the best healthcare jobs in the
Philippines, along with their salaries.*
*salary information from bukas.ph
Physician
Average salary: PHP 483,500/year
Physicians are among the highest-paid workers in the healthcare industry. It is your
responsibility as a physician to diagnose and treat your patients, as well as take their
medical histories and prescribe medication.
Nurse
Nursing is a highly sought-after skill, both in the Philippines and internationally. The
Philippines is one of the largest suppliers of nurses in the world, accounting for around

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25% of all international nurses. Nursing is one of the most diverse careers in the
medical field, whether you wish to work in hospitals or clinics, or help those in need as a
health aide.
Medical Technologist
Medical technologists typically work in a laboratory, performing tests such as urine and
blood analysis. They will also supply data that needs to be analysed. However, you
must first obtain a BSc in Medical Technology and pass the Medical Technologist
Licensure Examination.
Pharmacist
Pharmacists’ key responsibilities include dispensing prescription medications to patients

and providing expert advice on how to appropriately administer the medication while
minimising side effects. To become a Registered Pharmacist, you must first complete a
Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy programme and then pass the Pharmacy Licensure
Exam.
Healthcare Data Management Specialist
If you enjoy clerical and administrative activities such as document preparation and
filing, this may be the job for you. Healthcare Data Management Specialists are in
charge of maintaining databases and producing healthcare reports. They also do data
analysis and validation to verify that the systems in place are working properly.

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Healthcare Customer Care Representative
Healthcare Customer Service Representatives assist customers with questions about

insurance claims and programme coverages. They also help people place orders,
resolve problems, and find information on products and services. You can work at call
centres owned by or affiliated with health insurance carriers in this field – or,
alternatively, work for the insurance company directly.

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NEWS: PHILIPPINE HEALTH SITUATION
Beyond the pandemic: Ensuring efficient health care services
By Ma. Teresa Montemayor | Published on October 07, 2022
MANILA – Nearly three years into the pandemic, the country continues to grapple with
its effects, facing significant challenges in providing essential health services.
At the same time, the country moves cautiously forward by learning to live with the
coronavirus and ensuring that other public health needs are met.
Department of Health (DOH) data show that the country has logged 3.9 million
coronavirus cases and more than 63,000 deaths so far. As the pandemic continues,
government agencies and local government units (LGUs) have to carry on with their
Covid-19 response. To make health services efficient, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
extended the state of calamity status nationwide starting Sept. 13 until Dec. 31, 2022.
Under Proclamation No. 57, series of 2022, Marcos enjoined the national government
and LGUs to deliver Covid-19 related interventions such as the vaccination program;
quick response fund; monitoring and control of prices of necessities and prime
commodities; and provide basic services to the affected populations.
DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said the state of calamity

extension would be the legal basis for emergency use authority for Covid-19 jabs,
emergency procurement of vaccines, tax exemptions for vaccine manufacturers and
donors, price caps on medicines used for Covid-19 treatment and additional benefits for
healthcare workers.

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Special risk allowance
The disbursement of Covid-19 benefits and compensation for healthcare workers

who continue to serve the country since the pandemic started is also one of the
department's priorities under the new administration.
“Na-i-release ngayon, PHP1.04 billion na pera. This is specific for the special risk
allowance (SRA) of around 55,211 eligible healthcare workers na hindi pa natin
nababayaran (The PHP1.04 billion money released, this is specific for the special
allowance of around 55,211 eligible healthcare workers who have not been paid) for the
time period of September 2020 to June 2021,” Vergeire said.
The fund is being processed and will be downloaded to the regional offices.
“So, hopefully by next week, we can already start distributing and disbursing this
money to our different facilities para maibigay sa ating mga (to give to our) healthcare
workers,” she added.
The DOH is also requesting PHP11.5 billion allowance from the Department of
Budget and Management for the unpaid health emergency allowance from January to
June 2022 covering 1,617,660 eligible claims. As of Sept. 14, a total of PHP9.2 billion
SRA has been paid to 67,726 healthcare workers.For the meals, accommodation and
transportation allowance, the DOH has disbursed PHP2.7 billion to 415,050 healthcare
workers. For the One Covid-19 allowance, about PHP 6.3 billion have been disbursed to
pay 324,757 claims.
Affordable medicines, health facilities
To make Covid-19 medicines more affordable, the DOH re-submitted the draft
executive order and memo to the President to the Health Policy Development and
Planning Bureau. The agency also re-endorsed the recommendation for a Iist of

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proposed maximum retail price for Covid-19 medicines to the Department of Trade and
Industry.
In relation to Executive Orders 155 (Regulation of Prices in the Retail of Drugs

and Medicines) and 104 (Maximum Retail Price of Drug and Medicine), the DOH sent
15 endorsement letters to the Food and Drug Administration on the list of drug outlets
violating the maximum retail price for its validation and possible imposition of
administrative sanction.
The Medical Assistance to Indigent Patients Program funds provided 278,946

patients with medical assistance funds amounting to PHP1.6 billion from July 1 to Sept.
15. For specialty centers, the DOH would follow the direction of President Ferdinand
Marcos Jr. to establish heart, lung, kidney, cancer and neonatal specialty centers in
subnational areas of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao by 2025.
Currently, the country has 46 functional specialty centers for 16 priority

specialties. Below is the status of functionality of the special centers in the Ilocos
Region, Cagayan Valley and Cordillera Administrative Region:
● Heart: 71 percent in Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center

(MMHMC)
● Lung: 95 percent in Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC)
● Kidney: 82 percent in BGHMC
● Cancer: 100 percent in BGHMC
● Neonatal: 100 percent in MMHMC
In Region 4-A (Calabarzon), Region 4-B (Mimaropa) and Bicol Region:
● Heart: 65 percent in Batangas Medical Center

● Lung: 79 percent in Bicol Regional Teaching and Training Hospital
● Kidney: 73 percent in Bicol Medical Center (BMC)

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● Cancer: 75 percent in BMC
● Neonatal: 100 percent in BMC In Western Visayas, Central Visayas, and Eastern
Visayas
● Heart: 94 percent in Western Visayas Medical Center
● Lung: 74 percent in Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC)
● Kidney: 64 percent in VSMMC
● Cancer: 88 percent in VSMMC
● Neonatal: 100 percent in VSMMC
In Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao Region, Soccsksargen,

Caraga, and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao:
● Heart: 94 percent in Northern Mindanao Medical Center

● Lung: 95 percent in Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC)
● Kidney: 91 percent in SPMC
● Cancer: 100 percent in SPMC
● Neonatal: 100 percent in SPMC
Moreover, there are ongoing improvements in 8,922 barangay health stations,

4,168 rural health units, 329 super health centers, 33 polyclinics, and 2,254 local
government unit hospitals.
National Patient Navigation and Referral Center
The National Patient Navigation and Referral Center (NPNRC), formerly known
as One Hospital Command, refers Covid-19 and non-Covid-19 patients to their local
hospitals and coordinates health facilities within the NCR.
Under the new administration, the center reported an increase in non-coronavirus

cases which its employees have referred to appropriate hospitals and health facilities. It
had an increasing percentage of successful referrals catered within 48 hours for the

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period of July to Sept. 14. Its success rate is 93 percent for July; 91 percent for August;
and 97 percent for Sept. 14.
Apart from referring patients to health facilities, the NPNRC has expanded its
services by providing telemedicine or teleconsultation and other forms of medical
assistance it could provide the community. The center also links indigent and
financially-constrained patients with the Malasakit Centers in different health facilities.
Pre-Service Scholarship Program (PSSP)
On Monday, the Philippine Federation of Professional Associations (PFPA) said

provision of incentives and scholarships could help the shortage of healthcare workers
in the country. PFPA Vice President Dr. Benito Atienza said many young people wanted
to become doctors and nurses but do not have enough money to pay for their college
education, urging the government to provide more scholarships.
“Kapag nakapag-aral naman sila ay magse-serbisyo naman sila ng ilang taon.

Dapat ganito 'yung ating process, hindi ‘yung kapag kulang na ‘yung nurses saka tayo
gagawa ng solusyon (Upon graduating, they will serve the country for a number of
years. This should be the process, not finding solutions when we already lack nurses),”
he said in a televised public briefing.
As of Sept. 15, there are 2,243 scholars under the DOH’s PSSP. Of the total
count, 1,398 are medical scholars while 845 are studying midwifery. About 81 percent of
these scholars are from the indigenous peoples communities and geographically
isolated and disadvantaged areas.
For the academic year 2022-2023, the full implementation of the medical
scholarship program of the national government will be under the Commission on
Higher Education Office of Student Development and Services by virtue of the Doktor
Para sa Bayan Act.

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JOURNAL: PHILIPPINE HEALTH SITUATION
An Evaluation of the Philippine Healthcare System: Preparing for a Robust Public

Health in the Future
By Dalmacito A. Cordero, Jr. | Published on May 31, 2022
In a recent systematic review article published in this journal, the authors

explored the challenges on the road to universal health coverage (UHC) and conducted
an in-depth analysis of viable solutions. They pointed out the importance of the 4
functions of health systems (stewardship, creating resources, financing, and delivering
services) based on the World Health Organization’s (WHO) conceptual model. This is
indeed an essential study to determine whether a particular country is fulfilling the
mandate for universal healthcare, where all its citizens are assured of access to
healthcare. With this, let me assess the status of the Philippines concerning UHC,
especially regarding the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In
this way, we can also determine which functions need improvement to prepare for a
future health crisis.
A health system consists of all organizations, people, and actions whose primary
intent is to promote, restore, or maintain health. Describing each function of the health
system and exploring what the government has offered is the basic process of our
assessment. Stewardship involves leadership and governance. It means that every
government must have strategic policy frameworks, and these are combined with
effective oversight, coalition building, regulation, attention to system design, and
accountability. In fairness to our government, President Rodrigo Duterte signed the
Universal Health Care Bill into law last 2019, ushering in massive reforms in the health
sector. Among the salient features of the UHC Law is the expansion of population,
service, and financial coverage through an array of health system amendments. This is
accompanied by a planned paradigm shift to primary care, which is the core and center

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of all health reforms under the UHC. However, there was a lack of foresight among
some leaders and an absence of accountability. The government was very late to
impose travel restrictions and emergency measures. Duterte ordered a travel ban only
for passengers coming from Wuhan, China specifically on January 31, a day after the
first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in the country. This increased greatly the number
of cases, which ballooned to almost 3.68 million as of March 30, 2022. Furthermore, as
the country is experiencing the fangs of the pandemic, an investigation by the Senate
between the Department of Health and Pharmally Pharmaceuticals Corporation, which
involved up to 11 billion Philippine peso (PHP; 1 US dollar=52.00 PHP) worth of supply
contracts for medical supplies in 2020, was proven to be anomalous.
In the second function, creating resource developments involves the presence of

a well-performing health workforce, a well-functioning health information system, and a
system that ensures equitable access to essential medical products, vaccines, and
technologies of assured quality, safety, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness. This area has
proven to be very weak and neglected. Some nurses and other health professionals
were treated as commodities when the country planned to offer these workers to take
up jobs in Britain and Germany in exchange for vaccines. Scores of healthcare workers
also protested several times to demand an end to what they called government neglect
and unpaid benefits. How will these workers perform well with this kind of harsh
treatment?
Financing pertains to adequate funds for health, ensuring that people can use the
needed services and are protected from financial catastrophe or impoverishment
associated with having to pay for them. There are adequate funds for health services
since the government submitted a record 5.024-trillion PHP national budget for 2022 to
Congress, with nearly 2 trillion PHP going to social services, including the pandemic
response. The problem lies in the mismanagement of this budget. The WHO has urged
the mass production and use of testing kits as a basic necessity in combating the

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pandemic, but the government was very slow in approving the many applications of
testing kit companies for immediate use. In the same way, the approved reverse
transcription-polymerase chain reaction test, which costs 3800 PHP in public labs and
4500 PHP to 5000 PHP in private labs, is unaffordable for many. While other countries
offer free tests, an ordinary Filipino needs to choose practically to buy first a meal for his
family than this expensive test kit.
Lastly, delivering services means providing effective, safe, quality personal and
non-personal health interventions to those that need them, when and where needed,
with a minimum waste of resources. The uneven distribution of vaccines across regions
may prevent the country from reaching its target of at least 70% of the total population
by March 2022 and 90% by June 2022. The vaccination pace in most regions is too
slow due to a lack of health workers and the absence of easily accessible primary
health centers. Despite the recent availability of vaccines, efforts to get them quickly into
peoples’ arms have fallen short.
In conclusion, the Philippine healthcare system needs an overhaul in terms of the

4 functions discussed. This is certainly one of the main reasons why herd immunity has
not yet been attained and the country has reached almost 4 million COVID- 19 cases
and counting. It is a sad reality, but by facing the truth, accepting it, and having a
collaborative commitment to improve—both by the government and among the
public—we will hopefully be more resilient and establish a robust public health system.

24
RESEARCH: PHILIPPINE HEALTH SITUATION
Challenges in public health facilities and services: evidence from a

geographically isolated and disadvantaged area in the Philippines
By Zaldy C Collado | Published on August 01, 2019
Abstract
The study describes the conditions of public health sector in the Island
Municipality of Jomalig, Quezon Province in Luzon, Philippines. Located at the far
north-eastern side of the Quezon Province, Jomalig Island can be reached through a
motor boat at around 4-5 hours (or more depending on the sea condition). Given the
geographical disadvantage, challenges in economic and social services in the island are
apparent. That includes deficiencies in basic public utility services such as water and
electricity. The paper showcases a needs assessment on public health facilities and
services in a far-flung municipality in the Philippines. This study examines the
challenges in public health aspirations in a location considered to be a geographically
isolated and disadvantaged area (GIDA).
Methodology
The study made use of key informant interviews (KIIs) among health
professionals and village health workers in the island. Aside from the KIIs, the study
included the World Health Organization’s (WHO) tracer checklist on general readiness.
The checklist was administered but in interview style. The participants were the public
health staff in the island. The researcher was able to interview the health professionals
(nurses and a midwife) manning the main public health facility in the island municipality
while in the case of the other villages, health volunteers or the Barangay Health Worker
(BHWs) were interviewed.

25
Results
The study made use of key informant interviews (KIIs) among health
professionals and village health workers in the island. Aside from the KIIs, the study
included the World Health Organization’s (WHO) tracer checklist on general readiness.
The checklist was administered but in interview style. The participants were the public
health staff in the island. The researcher was able to interview the health professionals
(nurses and a midwife) manning the main public health facility in the island municipality
while in the case of the other villages, health volunteers or the Barangay Health Worker
(BHWs) were interviewed.
Conclusion
Enduring the underfinanced and undermanned health facilities, the island’s

population also suffers the consequences on overall health owing to limited movements
and communication due to the geographical characteristics of the municipality.
Emergency boats per village, health education campaign that focuses on eliminating
open defecation and reliance on quack doctors, stand-by generators for the health
centers, and radio communication system are strongly recommended to mitigate the
negative impacts of living within GIDA communities.

26
COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIP
Members:
Cruzada, Juliana June R.
De Lara, Jelina Sophia A.
Diaz, Edrian L.
Engracia, Ashley Sophia Mae L.
Esguerra, Edward Luis S.
Flaminiano, Jenine A.
Fuentes, Janille Rose C.
Galope, Fel B.

27
ARTICLE: COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIP
The Value of Partnerships in Community Development
By John Javey | Published on February 9, 2017
Times change. We no longer live in the “command and control” era. Nor are our
actions governed by feudal law. Good riddance. Great news. Today, when it comes to
quality decision-making on critical planning and economic development issues, we live
in the age of partnerships.
Partnerships represent the pinnacle of leadership and collaboration in civil

society. More than just a “purchase order”, true partnerships are the most difficult,
rewarding, and effective form of decision-making available to us.
The issues facing communities today are many and complex, and exist at a wide
range of scales. But partnerships are increasingly becoming the answer for issues that
involve many stakeholders or require the application of many minds to address.
There are many types of partnerships. Public private partnerships (PPP’s or P3’s)
may be the most well-known, at least in community development circles. PPP’s are the
result of a contractual relationship between public agencies (say a municipal
government) and private enterprise to deliver a public good. Hundreds of projects
nationally are the result of PPP’s, and it’s a topic worth exploring, but I’m shedding light
on a different type of partnership structure in this piece, one that doesn’t require
contracts between parties and that I’ll call community partnerships to keep simple.
Community partnerships can be as diverse and varied as the communities in

which they’re located and the issues they’re formed to tackle. Some may be ad hoc
committees, formed to quickly respond to a discrete community issue and can then be
disbanded as quickly as they form. Others form to take on larger projects, developing
structures by which they operate and creating comprehensive strategies to advance

28
their goals. But in a nutshell, a community partnership is a collaborative relationship
between willing entities formed to address shared objectives.
Of the many reasons to form community partnerships, a few stand out. The first
can be summed up by the African proverb: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want
to go far, go together.” Effective partnerships leverage the strengths of each partner and
apply it strategically to the issue at hand. It might take more work, and it might take
longer, but strong partnerships build the relationships, shared understanding, and
collective focus to make lasting progress.
Second, there is value in working with a variety of organizations, for a couple

reasons. One, because they function best when all participants actively engage,
community partnerships push entities to see and understand issues from different
perspectives. We learn much when actively listening, even when—especially
when—opinions and ideas challenge those of our own. Beyond that, there may be new
opportunities to network, build business, or learn about new tools that others offer.
Effective community partnerships rarely emerge overnight. They are the product
of time and thoughtful deliberation. Those two factors bookend a series of other key
elements that create effective partnerships. Among them:
● Leadership. Community partnerships are leader’s collectives. My colleague wrote

that “leadership is to communities as chocolate chips are to cookies: the more
the better.” If that’s the case, then partnerships are the batter holding the chips in
place.
● Aligned Vision. Each partner must be pursuing the same essential goal. This
does not mean they are committed to the same outcomes, approach, values
systems and the like—in fact, disagreement about these can be healthy for the
group. But it must be moving in the same general direction. One partnership
consisting of one group seeking to create a community sculpture park and
another hoping to win a grant for a water cistern is unlikely to work, for example.

29
● Roles, Responsibilities and Accountability. Delineating clear roles for participating
members and their responsibilities alleviates confusion and streamlines the
group’s effectiveness. Additionally, clear roles and responsibilities create
channels of accountability. When partners understand how their contributions
add value to the overall effort, and can see whether others are meeting their
roles, it creates opportunities to provide accountability.
● Framework for Culture and Values. Especially important for partnerships tackling
a bigger, longer term issue, developing a framework for, well, how the group
works, is crucial. Roles and responsibilities can be contained here, but the
framework generally covers items like meeting ground rules, decision-making,
behavioral expectations, conflict resolution, and overall goals and purpose.
● Communication. Strong and consistent feedback loops grease the skids of

understanding and progress. It’s also one of the easiest things to achieve,
especially today with the proliferation of smartphones and social media.

30
NEWS: COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIP
DepEd emphasizes importance of partnership on school health programs
GENERAL SANTOS CITY, August 2, 2019
The Department of Education (DepEd) emphasized the significance of different

partners in Oplan Kalusugan (OK) sa DepEd in order to promote and give Filipino
students with long-term comprehensive school health and nutrition programs that will
lead to healthier behavior and improved academic results.
On July 24, Education Chief Leonor Magtolis Briones expressed her gratitude to
the local government, as well as partners and stakeholders from non-government,
business, and civil society organizations for their unwavering support to DepEd's
various programs and reforms in a message read by Undersecretary Diosdado San
Antonio during the national kickoff of the OK sa DepEd in Banisil Central Elementary
School, General Santos City: “With 27 million learners and 800,000 instructors across
the nation, the Department could not carry out its constitutional responsibility to provide
every Filipino with access to quality education without your help.”
OK sa DepEd focuses on the major school health programs such as:

School-Based Feeding Program (SBFP); National Drug Education Program (NDEP);
Adolescent Reproductive Health Education (ARH); Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene in
Schools (WinS); Medical, Dental, and Nursing Services; and the School Mental Health
Program.
Alain Del Pascua, Undersecretary for Administration, emphasized the

collaboration to ensure the implementation of health and nutrition programs to maintain
and improve the health of school children and personnel: "Hindi natin kayang
i-implement lahat ito na walang tulong ang Department of Health, local government unit
(LGU), at 'yung iba't-ibang organizations natin." To meet the health requirements of our
schoolchildren, we need all of the physicians, dentists, nurses, nutritionists,

31
ophthalmologists, and other health experts to undertake this program.
Future directions
Pascua revealed the Department's plans to better deliver health and nutrition
programs for students and faculty, along with the construction of about 2,000 school
clinics in every town in the country beginning this year, possibly in central elementary
schools, in towns without municipal clinics, or in regions remote from already-existing
clinics. Pascua stated that he will make a request to the Department's Curriculum and
Instruction strand to send senior high school (SHS) students who are enrolled in
health-related tracks to work as clinic assistants as part of their immersion program.
Preparing wholesome food to be given to schools as part of the SBFP is another

immersion program for SHS students, particularly those in the food and beverage
tracks.
DepEd will also suggest the use of mobile clinics in order to reach more schools
and assist more students. Pascua continued by saying that the Department is also
investigating the possibility of asking for doctors, nurses, and dentists to work in schools
and enhancing the supply of drinkable water in each one.
Finally, Pascua commended the General Santos municipal government for

donating 15 dental chairs to the city's schools as part of its health-related program,
which is overseen by Mayor Ronnel Rivera.

32
JOURNAL: COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIP
Overview: Partnerships and Collaboration: What Skills are Needed?
The Online Journal of Issues In Nursing
Judith Gedney Baggs, PhD, RN, FAAN | January 31, 2005
The Cochrane Collection is the world’s foremost collection of summary and

meta-analytic reports of interventional research in health care. At least 6 years ago the
topic of nurse-physician collaboration was introduced by Zwarenstein and Bryant
(1998). Each year since then they have re-visited the topic. They have since found two
randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of interventions to increase collaboration and
reported their outcomes. In subsequent years to date, no further studies met the
Cochrane criteria of an RCT, so they continue to report the same two studies
(Zwarenstein & Bryant, 2004).
However, there are other research studies, not RCTs, that, in their consistent
findings, support the importance of collaboration in delivering health care. Dating back
to the late 1970s there are descriptive and quasi-experimental studies demonstrating
either improved patient outcomes or improved provider quality of work life or both
(Alt-White, Charns, & Strayer, 1983; Baggs & Ryan, 1990; Baggs, Ryan, Phelps,
Richeson, & Johnson, 1992; Baggs et al., 1997; Baggs et al., 1999; Feiger & Schmitt,
1979; Knaus, Draper, Wagner, & Zimmerman, 1986; Mitchell, Armstrong, Simpson, &
Lentz, 1989; Shortell et al., 1994; Zimmerman et al., 1993). There also have been
interventional studies, but lacking aspects of randomization or strict control,
demonstrating similar positive results (Ahrens, Yancey, & Kollef, 2003; Boyle, 2004;
Campbell, 1996; Koerner & Armstrong, 1984; Lilly et al., 2000; Lilly, Sonna, Haley, &
Massaro, 2003; Rubenstein et al., 1984).
All this evidence supports the importance of collaboration, as do the authors of

each of the articles included in this issue. In the first article Gardner notes that a major

33
difficulty with collaboration is that many descriptions of it emphasize egalitarian
relationships in a health care system where there is a hierarchical structure. She
identifies the skills and values required to collaborate effectively and formulates 10
lessons to help care providers practice collaboration by sharing responsibility,
knowledge, and power even within a hierarchical structure. Throughout she emphasizes
that collaboration is both a process and an outcome.
Boswell and Cannon identify networking, leadership, and vision as the key
behaviors associated with collaboration. Networking, defined as identification and
mobilization of resources, is the first and most crucial of these elements. Leadership
requires inspiration of stakeholders to transform practice. Vision is the identification of
shared purpose. They provide examples from their own experiences of collaborative
endeavors within particular geographic areas.
Ross, King, and Firth describe a technique to assist individual practitioners to see
how they could change their behaviors in practice settings to reflect on and increase
interdisciplinary practices. The paper focuses on use of the process, derived from
phenomenology, personal construct psychology, social network method, and the
Salmon Line technique. In a case study they demonstrate how a practitioner was
encouraged to graphically represent her community health practice, then to re-examine
her model in light of the key bi-polar dimension of good versus poor collaboration. They
conclude by saying how this technique has been useful in their own interdisciplinary
educational settings.
Lindeke and Sieckert review the research evidence for collaboration, particularly
from Magnet Hospital studies, and note the importance of interdisciplinary educational
experiences. They, too, present strategies to enhance collaboration. Three of these
strategies emphasize self-development, five are focused on team development, and two
address communicating in fast-paced situations. These authors have identified several
key issues related to collaboration in today’s health care settings. One of these is that

34
collaboration does not always mean a standing team, but is important even in brief
interactions, which are not always face-to-face. The sections on designing facilities and
use of electronic communication bring new insights to the longstanding conversation on
collaboration.
The final article, by Hinton Walker and Elberson, emphasizes the need for
collaboration to move beyond individual health care settings into larger partnerships,
including global ones, using new technologies. They stress the importance of the leader
in organizations in setting the stage for change and collaboration based on the three
collaborative principles of relationships, understanding the perspectives of others, and
shared decision making. This work can begin with attention to language, for example
changing debate to dialogue and either/or to both/and. The second step is to assess
new technology for collaboration and find ways to integrate it into the organization.
Hinton Walker and Elberson end with a brief identification of key technologies including
document and file sharing, streaming, document collaboration, and distance learning.
While much of what is presented in these articles is a re-emphasis on work

previously written on collaboration, several themes emerge. At the beginning is
interdisciplinary education, with nascent providers of various professions learning
together both about substance and about the perspectives of each other’s professions.
In the process of professional work, there is the need to consider multiple perspectives
and to communicate thoughtfully, not only in traditional teams, during interdisciplinary
rounds, and in telephone communications but using new forms of technology. There is a
need to look beyond one’s immediate setting to the larger organization and to other
organizations. Leaders need to consider how to support and reward collaborative
endeavors for better patient outcomes and to recruit and retain providers. More
interventional research is needed, when possible. RCTs, to add to Zwarenstein’s
summaries, when not, work like that of Lilly and Boyle. Talking about collaboration is
fulfilling, but investigating concrete ways to support it is crucial.

35
RESEARCH: COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIP
Collaborative marketing for the sustainable development of community-based

tourism enterprises: voices from the field
Tramy Ngoa, Gui Lohmann and Rob Hales
Griffith Institute for Tourism, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia; Department of

Tourism, Sport and Hotel Management, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
Abstract
This paper examines stakeholder engagement in the collaborative marketing of

community-based tourism enterprises (CBTEs). The study explored the various
collaborative marketing approaches shaped by diverse stakeholders’ perspectives on
ways to achieve the sustainable development of CBTEs in Vietnam. The results of 30
in-depth, semi-structured interviews from three CBTEs in Vietnam showed that three
collaborative marketing approaches prevailed among CBTE stakeholders and were
categorized as commercial viability-driven, community development-driven and
balanced approaches. The approaches’ differences were reflected in the marketing
objectives to achieve CBTE sustainability, the central linkages of CBTE collaborative
marketing, and the facilitators of stakeholder collaboration. The research found a
knowledge gap between researchers and research participants and divergent
perspectives among different categories of research participants regarding marketing
and CBTE sustainability. This paper implies the role of a knowledge co-production
approach to drive the stakeholder engagement in CBTE collaborative marketing for
CBTEs’ long term success. Additionally, this study provides insights into the discussion
of marketing for sustainable tourism. Furthermore, the findings contribute to a better
understanding of the collaborative approach at the organizational level.

36
Methodology
Acknowledging diverse viewpoints and their values in understanding a problem,

this study adopts a constructivist paradigm in its methodology. Constructivism,
according to Guba (1990), admits the multiples of realities that exist in the minds of the
“insiders”, and attempts to obtain one or more construction(s) that are reconciled from
different perspectives. Due to the nature of the constructivist paradigm, Hollinshead
(2006) argues that the paradigm is significant in investigating highly contextualized
problem domains in which different worldviews co-exist and might be incongruent with
each other.
Discussion
Power sources and perceptions of legitimacy arguably regulate stakeholder

inclusion in CBTE collaborative marketing. The relationship-related attributes of
stakeholders are thoroughly discussed in the debate concerning inter-organisational
collaboration (Beritelli & Laesser, 2011; Jamal & Stronza, 2009). Indeed, the attributes
of power and legitimacy have been consistently utilized in assessing stakeholder
inclusion in any collaboration (Jamal & Stronza, 2009; Mitchell, Agle, & Wood, 1997).
This study adds insights to this discussion through the lens of CBTE collaborative
marketing and within the context of a communist country. Particularly, in the study
context of Vietnam, a communist country in which the central state still controls the
nation’s tourism industry (Michaud & Turner, 2017), political powers are stressed in
defining stakeholder inclusion in CBTE collaborative marketing. The inclusion of the
government stakeholders in CBTE collaborative marketing and their proposed role of
collaboration facilitator under the community development-driven approach illustrate this
argument. Additionally, the stakeholder’s legitimacy is initially and mainly perceived
concerning their legal authority. The legal status of CBTE co-operatives means they are
perceived as being capable of representing the community, while the lack of legal status
of social enterprises causes a reluctance regarding the feasible operations of social
enterprises in CBTE collaborative marketing.

37
Conclusion
This study investigates stakeholder engagement in CBTE collaborative marketing

for business sustainability. Specifically, collaborative marketing approaches that include
crucial stakeholders (tour operators, NGOs, development agencies, the government,
local entrepreneurs, and CBTE co-operatives) are advocated. Indeed, three CBTE
collaborative marketing approaches are identified and are differentiated regarding the
pathways to CBTE sustainability, the perceptions of CBTE marketing, the identification
of central linkages in CBTE collaborative networks, and the proposals of collaboration
facilitator. The findings from this study also reveal that a CBTE collaborative marketing
approach in which the objectives of commercial viability and community development
are balanced can lead to the better sustainability of CBTEs. Under this approach,
marketing is employed as not a conventional economic tool but a strategic mechanism
to achieve the CBTE sustainability. However, for a successful integration of
collaborative marketing and CBTE sustainability, there is a need to bridge the
theory–practice gap and to reconcile divergent perspectives among CBTE stakeholders.
Therefore, this study argues for the significance of a knowledge co-production approach
in which researchers and CBTE stakeholders work together to develop a collaborative
marketing approach for the CBTE long term success.
This study has certain limitations. This study ignores the business life cycle of
CBTE development, which may affect perspectives relating to central linkages and
facilitators of CBTE collaborative marketing. For instance, the role of a collaboration
facilitator may differ for mature CBTEs compared to infant ones. Furthermore, the
investigation of CBTEs in Vietnam may not reflect the diverse collaborative marketing
alternatives of CBTEs in other parts of the world.
Implications for future research are presented. Particularly, a participatory

research approach should be adopted to investigate the process of knowledge
co-production between the researchers and CBTE stakeholders and among the CBTE
stakeholders regarding CBTE collaborative marketing. In fact, the results of this study

38
represent the first stage of the knowledge co-production process through which diverse
perspectives on CBTE collaborative marketing are explored. Following this first stage,
possible future research on this topic could include facilitating a platform for knowledge
interactions between the researchers and CBTE stakeholders to achieve a compromise
of perspectives. A feedback mechanism to evaluate the learning outcomes associated
with the knowledge co-production process should be included. Additionally, a
comparative study of CBTE collaborative marketing in different political economy
contexts is necessary. The investigation would help to specify the typical stakeholder
engagement in the development of CBTEs in less-developed communist countries.
KEYWORDS: Community-based tourism enterprises, collaborative marketing,

knowledge gap, sustainability, Vietnam.

39
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND

COMMUNITY HEALTH
Members:
Garcia, Cherry Rose M.

Hilario, Joseph Gabriel P.
Horca, Trisha Leanne M.
Javate, Mione Gianne April D.
Libed, Erlyn Denise T.
Lopez, Kathrina M.
Luna, Jelica Nadine S.
Mandani, Jan Edward A.

40
ARTICLE: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNITY HEALTH
Acceptability of Information Technology Systems Developed for Distant

Philippine Communities among Local Health Providers
By Alvin B. Caballes, Acta Medica Philippina | Published on July 2021
The National Telehealth Service Program (NTSP) has developed Information

Technology (IT) systems aimed at improving health services primarily in isolated
Philippine communities. These included two electronic health records modalities
(Community Health Information Tracking System, or CHITS, and Real-time Regular
Routine Reporting for Health, or R4Health), a referral system (Telemedicine), and a
remote diagnostic device (RxBox).
The study was undertaken to describe the utilization and cost patterns as
well as the perceptions of the local health personnel regarding the use of the
various NTSP systems. The implications of the end-user perceptions on the
acceptability and expanded use of the IT interventions were inferred, from which
corresponding policy recommendations were made.
Twelve NTSP sites, including far-flung and economically depressed

communities, where the systems were concurrently available over a defined six month
period, were selected. The frequency of respective system transactions for these sites
was collected from NTSP files. Interviews and focus group discussions were conducted
at the communities, involving physicians, nurses, midwives, and other health
workers. Associated costs, and perceptions related to the adoption, operation, and
sustained use of the IT systems were elucidated.
Telemedicine, though the least costly modality, was the least utilized of the
systems. While both R4Health and CHITS facilitated health data management,
CHITS provided more locally-relevant information. The RxBox system, due to its
clinical diagnostic device component, was widely accepted and also increased

41
health center consultations, especially among pregnant patients. Technical
malfunctions, as well as system failures following natural calamities, were recurrent
problems.
The RxBox system, with its bundled health records and specialist
consultation functions, is highly accepted by health providers and other community
stakeholders. The technology can be expected to be similarly well-regarded in other
settings. The stand-alone IT modalities that do not directly or significantly benefit
the actual implementers are not as sustainable.

42
NEWS: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNITY HEALTH
PH continues leveraging ICT solutions for health

By Ma. Cristina Arayata | Published on September 2021
MANILA – Officials of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) on

Wednesday said the country will continue to leverage information and communications
technology (ICT) for health.
"ICT for health is among our research priority areas. One of our goals in utilizing
ICT is to bring health solutions closer to the patients -- the same goal which prompted (a
team of researchers) to pursue the 'Aruga para sa Batang may Cancer' or ABC
Initiative," DOST Secretary Fortunato de la Peña said in a virtual presser.
The initiative, he said, aims to develop a website that will bring "aruga" or care
closer to pediatric cancer patients. To do this, there is a need to establish a platform that
will provide the following: learning management system (LMS) with learning materials
focused on palliative care for healthcare professionals and primary caregivers of
pediatric patients with cancer; a pediatric oncology registry for health facility
administrators; and a telemedicine platform for rural health units (RHUs), city health
centers, and tertiary healthcare facilities in the National Capital Region, Region V,
Region VII, and XI.
De la Peña said the DOST has been supporting this initiative. "To date, the LMS
already catered to 225 healthcare institutions across the country, with 134 physicians
enrolled to the Pediatric Palliative Care certification course, and 794 nurses registered
to the End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC) certification course," he said.
These courses enhance the expertise of healthcare workers on palliative care services
for pediatric cancer patients.

43
The DOST chief noted that by leveraging ICT for health, experts can forecast the
spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), enabling them to provide inputs for
strategies to combat or curve the number of cases.
He said that the team behind the Feasibility Analysis of Syndromic Surveillance
using Spatio-Temporal Epidemiological Modeler for Early Detection of Diseases
(FASSSTER) project that the DOST also supported had enhanced the FASSSTER
application (app).
"Initially, the application was intended for creating predictive models and
visualizing possible scenarios of outbreaks for dengue, typhoid fever, and measles, at
specified periods," he said.
The team had enhanced FASSSTER to generate predictive models for Covid-19,
to forecast the number of confirmed cases at a given area and a specified period. "This
will serve as a support tool for decision-makers in implementing evidence-based
measures that will mitigate the spread of Covid-19," he remarked.
They were successful in making FASSSTER generate disease models which can
help the users project the effects of interventions such as community quarantine and
current health capacities on the total number of confirmed cases, recoveries, according
to de la Peña.
"To date, the technology has been adopted by the Department of Health as the
official monitoring tool for Covid-19 in the country. The team continues to assist DOH in
updating the models and analytics for continuous monitoring of Covid-19 by national
agencies and local government units," he said.
DOST Undersecretary Rowena Cristina Guevara said these two-research works

continue to become relevant in addressing emerging healthcare problems.

44
"The impact of ICT in overcoming healthcare barriers was made more apparent
by Covid-19. With this, we gladly supported the development of new ICT technologies.
We hope that these projects were able to demonstrate how our support for ICT for
health research, and R&D (research and development) as a whole, goes a long way,
allowing us to address persisting health concerns," she said.
Guevara added that the DOST is committed to pushing for high-impact R&D that
provides accessible health solutions for every Filipino.

45
JOURNAL: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNITY HEALTH
Use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in Community Health

Programmes
By Smisha Agarwal, Trinity Zan | Published on March 2019
This chapter looks at the background and growth of information and

communication technology (ICT) and its use in community health. It gives many
examples of the rapidly growing number and variety of ‘mHealth’ programmes that use
mobile phones and other wireless devices to deliver health information and services.
Over the last decade, there has been a huge increase in the number of mobile phone
users around the world. Even in the remotest areas, it is becoming easier to connect,
and in most cities, even in slum areas, mobile phone use is the norm and have become
increasingly available, making it possible to reach resource-poor communities with
health care information and services.
The use of mobile phones and other wireless devices to deliver health services
and information is referred to as ‘mHealth’. In here, there are two points worth making at
this stage. First, we need to realize that setting up mHealth and other forms of ICT
requires time, ingenuity, and connection between a wide variety of people in the
development and rollout of the service. Second, we must not allow the demands of the
technology (or of the developers) to make us ‘unlearn’ important community
development principles. One denition of development is ‘a process through which
people gain greater control over the circumstances of their lives
Types of mHealth programmes
In practice, mHealth involves the use of digital devices for a wide variety of
issues. Mobile phones (including SMS technology) may be used as a tool to reach the
community with important health information, to support health care workers (HCWs) in
providing better care, or to help strengthen the health system.

46
mHealth programmes for clients
Digital tools such as mobile phones are useful for community members to receive
health information, or to communicate with healthcare workers and with other members
of the community. Two examples are The Mobile Alliance for Maternal Health Action
(MAMA) in Bangladesh, and MomConnect in South Africa.
mHealth programmes for healthcare providers
Mobile phones can be used to provide training in new technical areas, as well as
to assist HCWs in providing routine diagnosis and treatment. For example, in several
states in India, Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) have access to a programme
called Mobile Academy, an audio training health course on preventative health
behaviours. There are also valuable tools that support screening, diagnosis and
treatment which can be put on mobile phones or tablets to help guide HCWs. For
example, in Malawi, the Integrated Community Case Management (iCCM) application
uses mobile checklists and information to help the assessment of children with
symptoms such as diarrhoea, fever, cough, and rapid breathing. Other uses of mHealth
for healthcare providers include using a mobile phone to consult with other colleagues
or supervisors about how to manage medical complications, notifying higher-level health
facilities about patients needing referral, and playing short videos displayed on phones
or tablets to educate members of the community.
mHealth for systems strengthening
These mHealth interventions provide ways not just to support CHWs but also to
connect them to health care facilities, and to improve the quality of care by streamlining
how services are delivered. One successful example of an mHealth programme to
strengthen health systems is the cStock programme in Malawi. HSAs use their phones
to send a monthly SMS to the system about the level of essential medicines they have
in stock.

47
RESEARCH: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNITY HEALTH
Implementation of eHealth Technology in Community Health Care: The

Complexity of Stakeholder Involvement
Author: Etty R. Nilsen, Karen Stendal & Monika K. Gullslett | Published on May 2020
Background
The implementation of any technology in community health care is seen as a

challenge. Similarly, the implementation of eHealth technology also has challenges, and
many initiatives never fully reach their potential. In addition, the complexity of
stakeholders complicates the situation further, since some are unused to cooperating
and the form of cooperation is new. The paper’s aim is to give an overview of the
stakeholders and the relationships and dependencies between them, with the goal of
contributing this knowledge to future similar projects in a field seeing rapid development.
Methods
In this longitudinal qualitative and interpretive study involving eight municipalities

in Norway, we analysed how eHealth initiatives have proven difficult due to the
complexity and lack of involvement and integration from stakeholders. As part of a
larger project, this study draws on data from 20 interviews with employees on multiple
levels, specifically, project managers and middle managers; healthcare providers and
next of kin; and technology vendors and representatives of the municipal IT support
services.
Results
Researchers identified the stakeholders involved in the implementation of

eHealth community health care in the municipalities, then described and discussed the
relationships among them. The identification of the various stakeholders illustrates the
complexity of innovative implementation projects within the healthcare domain—in

48
particular, community health care. Furthermore, stakeholders were categorised along
two dimensions (external– internal) and their degree of integration (core stakeholders,
support stakeholders and peripheral stakeholders).
Conclusions
Study findings deepen theoretical knowledge concerning stakeholders in eHealth

technology implementation initiatives. Findings show that the number of stakeholders is
high, and illustrate the complexity of stakeholders’ integration. Moreover, stakeholder
integration in public community health care differs from a classical industrial stakeholder
map in that the municipality is not just one stakeholder, but is instead composed of
many. These stakeholders are internal to the municipality but external to the focal actor,
and this complicating factor influences their integration. The findings also contribute to
practice by highlighting how projects within the healthcare domain should identify and
involve these stakeholders at an early stage.

49
CURRENT TRENDS IN PUBLIC HEALTH: GLOBAL

AND NATIONAL
Members:
Mangaoang, Krista Mae
Marquez, Dianne Marie
Miranda. Joan Frances
Obedoza, Magdalene
Orbasido, Claudine Dane
Padolina, Darny Kristel
Paladin, Maurine

50
ARTICLE: CURRENT TRENDS IN PUBLIC HEALTH: GLOBAL AND NATIONAL
International response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic: planning for success
By Peter Piot & Awa Marie Coll Seck | Published on 2001
More assertive political leadership in the global response to AIDS in both poor
and rich countries culminated in June 2001 at the UN General Assembly Special
Session on AIDS. Delegates made important commitments there, and endorsed a
global strategy framework for shifting the dynamics of the epidemic by simultaneously
reducing risk, vulnerability and impact.
This points the way to achievable progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Evidence of success in tackling the spread of AIDS comes from diverse programme
areas, including work with sex workers and clients, injecting drug users, and young
people.
It also comes from diverse countries, including India, the Russian Federation,
Senegal, Thailand, the United Republic of Tanzania, and Zambia. Their common feature
is the combination of focused approaches with attention to the society wide context
within which risk occurs.
Similarly, building synergies between prevention and care has underpinned

success in Brazil and holds great potential for sub-Saharan Africa, where 90%
reductions have been achieved in the prices at which antiretroviral drugs are available.
Success also involves overcoming stigma, which undermines community action and
blocks access to services. Work against stigma and discrimination has been effectively
carried out in both health sector and occupational settings.
Accompanying attention to the conditions for success against HIV/AIDS is global

consensus on the need for additional resources. The detailed estimate of required AIDS
spending in low- and middle-income countries is US$ 9.2 billion annually, compared to
the $ 2 billion currently spent.

51
Additional spending should be mobilized by the new global fund to fight AIDS,
tuberculosis and malaria, but needs to be joined by additional government and private
efforts within countries, including from debt relief. Commitment and capacity to scale up
HIV prevention and care have never been stronger. The moment must be seized to
prevent a global catastrophe.

52
NEWS: CURRENT TRENDS IN PUBLIC HEALTH: GLOBAL AND NATIONAL
Philippines Addresses Rising Trend in New HIV Infections
Department of Health, 2016
A UNAIDS Report on the global HIV epidemic states that the number of new
infections in the Philippines has more than doubled in the past six (6) years from an
estimated 4,300 in 2010 to an estimated 10,500 in 2016. The Philippines has become
the country with the fastest growing HIV epidemic in Asia and the Pacific, and has
become one of eight countries that account for more than 85% of new HIV infections in
the region.
While the country has the fastest growing epidemic in terms of percentage
increase, the number of new infections in the Philippines is not as high as several
countries in the region which are estimated to have tens of thousands of new infections
annually.
“The Philippines has a small window of opportunity to act now and stop a major
HIV epidemic from taking hold,” said Eamonn Murphy, Director UNAIDS Regional
Support Team for Asia-Pacific. “If HIV programming is redirected to focus on the people
most at risk and where they are located, I’m sure the country can not only return to a
stable situation but even end the AIDS epidemic as a public health threat by 2030.”
While the Philippines has controlled the HIV epidemic among female sex
workers, the country noted a shift in the epidemic in 2007, notably among males who
have sex with males then persons who inject drugs, and has therefore scaled-up
services tailored to other key risk populations since that time. The Philippine data
showed that in 2016, 83% of newly reported HIV cases occurred among males who
have sex with males (MSM) and transgender women who have sex with males (TGW).
Majority of the new infections are occurring among 15 to 24 year old MSM and TGW.

53
In 2015, only 35% of 15 to 24 year-old MSM and TGW had correct knowledge on
HIV transmission and prevention. This is indicative of the need to step up HIV
information efforts in eliciting behavioral change among people at risk of infection.
Condom use among MSM and TGW has increased from 36% in 2011 to 50% in 2015,
which is still below the 80% target. The percentage of MSM and TGW who knew their
HIV status by getting tested increased from 5% in 2011 to 16% in 2015; however, this
still remains low. HIV testing is the necessary step to access life-saving antiretroviral
medications.
The Philippines has retooled its program to expand HIV services for males who
have sex with males and transgender women and has opened clinics that cater
specifically to their needs in urban areas, where the risk of HIV is higher. The strategy is
to focus on 117 cities where 80% of the new infections have been reported and to open
in each such city at least one HIV clinic which has convenient evening hours for working
people, and is a one-stop shop that provides prevention, counseling, laboratory
work-up, and treatment services. These are the Sundown clinics. The government has
also taken measures towards enabling rapid HIV screening and delivery of test results.
The Department of Health is providing antiretroviral (ARV) medicine for free to

anyone who tests positive for HIV, as well as other out-patient services to a maximum of
PHP 30,000 ($US 600) a year per person. Between 2013 and 2015, the government
increased funding for the HIV program, and now shoulders 70% of all financing for its
response.
Local governments have also stepped-up their efforts by providing resources and
implementing innovative HIV prevention services appropriate for their locales. For
example, Quezon City has opened three Sundown clinics which provide rapid HIV
testing and counseling for MSM and TGW, as well as HIV treatment in a
non-stigmatizing environment. The city has increased its funding for such initiatives
since 2012, and is leading a push to encourage other local government units to invest
more.

54
“HIV is one of the top health priorities for the government of the Philippines,” said
Dr. Paulyn Jean Rosell-Ubial, the Secretary of the Department of Health. “We have
significantly increased the budget allocated to HIV in the past few years, and are now
implementing programs which we expect to have a positive impact. The Department of
Health, together with the Philippine National AIDS Council, other government agencies,
local government units, and partner civil society groups is determined and committed to
halt the increase in the number of cases and start reversing the trend of the epidemic in
five (5) years.”

55
JOURNAL: CURRENT TRENDS IN PUBLIC HEALTH: GLOBAL AND NATIONAL
Protecting Young Women from HIV/AIDS: The Case Against Child and Adolescent
Marriage
A Journal of Peer-reviewed Research
Shelly Clark, Judith Bruce, Annie Dude | June 1, 2006
During the past decade, two demographic trends in developing countries have
received considerable attention: the unprecedented size of the current cohort of
adolescents and the steadily increasing percentage of women infected with HIV.1 Much
of the acceleration in the spread of HIV among women has occurred among
adolescents. In some parts of the world, notably Sub-Saharan Africa, the prevalence of
HIV among women aged 15–24 is two to eight times that among men in the same
age-group.2 In response, policymakers have increasingly sought to address the
reproductive and sexual health needs of adolescents, particularly female adolescents.
Most of the resulting policies and programs, however, pay surprisingly little attention to
the large proportion of female adolescents who are married.
Child and adolescent marriage remains common in many parts of the developing
world.3 Almost a third of the more than 330 million girls and young women aged 10–19
who currently live in developing countries (excluding China) were or will be married by
their 18th birthday.4 In the majority of these countries, most of the sexual intercourse
involving female adolescents occurs within marriage.5
Although the risk of HIV transmission between spouses is extremely low under
certain conditions—specifically, when both partners are uninfected at the time of
marriage and subsequently engage in sexual activity exclusively with each other—these
conditions are often not met. When they are violated, as is frequently the case for
women who marry at a very young age, sexual intercourse with a spouse is risky.
Indeed, in some settings, married adolescents have higher rates of HIV infection than

56
their sexually active unmarried peers.6 Thus, married female adolescents not only
represent a sizable fraction of adolescents at risk of contracting HIV via heterosexual
intercourse, but also a group with high rates of HIV infection.
Nonetheless, many policymakers and parents, and even young women

themselves, continue to perceive marriage as a haven from the risk of HIV infection.
Parents in Malawi, for example, encourage their daughters to marry early to protect
them from HIV.7 Moreover, many international and national AIDS prevention messages
encourage abstinence until marriage; these messages imply that sex within marriage is
not only more socially sanctioned than premarital sex, but also somehow provides
complete protection against HIV.
In this article, we present evidence from a series of international surveys about

four important aspects of young women's lives. These data call into question the often
deeply ingrained belief that marriage protects young women from HIV. First, for many
adolescents—particularly the youngest brides—marriage greatly increases their
potential exposure to the virus, because marriage results in a transition from virginity to
frequent unprotected sex. Even among adolescents who are already sexually active,
marriage generally leads to a dramatic rise in the frequency of unprotected intercourse,
especially when pregnancy is desired. Second, the partners of married female
adolescents are typically older—and, by virtue of their age, more likely to be
HIV-positive—than the boyfriends of unmarried female adolescents. In addition, in
polygamous societies, child and adolescent brides are more likely than older brides to
be second or third wives. Third, women who marry as adolescents receive less formal
education and have less exposure to the media than their unmarried peers, greatly
reducing their opportunities to receive information about HIV/AIDS via these channels
and potentially undermining their ability to negotiate safer sexual practices. Fourth, in
addition to being mounted in venues that are relatively inaccessible to married
adolescents, HIV outreach programs are often geared toward unmarried adolescents
and other groups that are considered to be high-risk.

57
RESEARCH: CURRENT TRENDS IN PUBLIC HEALTH: GLOBAL AND NATIONAL
Trends and emerging directions in HIV risk and prevention research in the
Philippines: A systematic review of the literature
Arjee Restar ,Mary Nguyen ,Kimberly Nguyen ,Alexander Adia, Jennifer

Nazareno,Emily Yoshioka,Laufred Hernandez,Don Operario | December 5, 2018
Abstract
The Philippines is experiencing one of the fastest growing epidemics globally.

Evidence-based public health policies are needed. To describe the public health
literature on HIV risk groups and prevention approaches in the Philippines, we reviewed
published empirical studies with HIV-related outcomes.
Methods
Based on an a priori systematic review protocol, we searched PubMed,

PsycINFO and CINAHL databases for quantitative studies conducted in the Philippines
that reported on HIV risk groups factors and interventions to prevent HIV. The search
included studies published as of April 2018.
Discussion
Despite the rise in HIV infections documented in the Philippines’ national

surveillance reports since 2008, this review highlights the limited body of published
research on HIV infection and risk factors in key populations, a paucity of research on
interventions to promote HIV prevention and testing in the Philippines, and opportunities
for improving methodological rigor in future research. Overall, we identified 51 published
quantitative papers reporting on HIV- or STI-related biological, behavioral, or
social-cognitive findings from 30 unique studies conducted in the Philippines. The
majority of papers identified in this review reported on data collected before 2008; only
10 papers (reporting on 7 discrete studies) reported data collected during or after 2008.

58
Moreover, this review identified only 4 HIV prevention intervention evaluations in the
published literature.
Prior to 2008, FSWs constituted the population most frequently studied in HIV
research conducted in the Philippines. After 2008, a small number of studies included
MSM and PWID. Indeed, the papers by Gangcuangco and colleagues and Telan and
colleagues [59,60] and are among the only identified published studies which recruited
and reported specifically on HIV risk in MSM populations. Findings from PWID were
included in four reports–one involving surveillance data from an earlier phase of the
epidemic, three conducted after 2008 by Verdery and colleagues and by Telan and
colleagues Four studies included youth; two were conducted before 2008 and two after
No identified studies specifically reported on overseas workers and transgender
populations.
This review identifies a need to improve the body of knowledge about HIV risk
and transmission among key populations in the Philippines. Research targeting MSM,
PWID, and transgender populations is needed to understand the transmission risk
factors and specific structural, social, behavioral, and epidemiological factors impacting
these groups. While there is a considerable body of HIV prevention intervention
research focusing on MSM and PWIDs in other parts of the world, none have been
specific to the Philippines. It remains unclear whether existing prevention interventions
are adaptable or require distinct design for this national context. Additionally, despite an
estimated global HIV prevalence of 19% and anecdotal reports that suggests a growing
burden of HIV among transgender women in the Philippines , none of the included
studies have focused on or included this key population. It is possible that researchers
in the Philippines have aggregated transgender populations within the MSM rubric
Given HIV epidemiological trends within the Philippines and evidence from other
settings about the disproportionate prevalence of HIV among transgender people, future
research must disaggregate transgender and MSM populations and resist the conflation
of gender and sexual identities. Additionally, given that UNAIDS surveillance data points

59
to youth and young adults being affected more biological and behavioral research data
and interventions are necessary to understand the epidemic among youth and young
adults in the Philippines, especially those who are also members of MSM, PWID, or
transgender populations.
Most of the studies identified in this review used cross-sectional surveys with
convenience samples, involving mostly descriptive measures, which limit the
generalizability of the research. While these study designs are useful in exploratory
investigations, it is imperative for researchers to increase the rigor of investigations by
using longitudinal and experimental studies in order to examine more complex research
hypotheses (e.g., testing hypotheses about social-behavioral determinants of HIV
infection) and to test interventions.
Moreover, as the majority of includes studies were conducted prior 2008,

researchers must also examine biomedical factors that might determine or mitigate the
growth of HIV in the Philippines–e.g., factors associated with medication adherence and
viral load suppression among PLHIV (i.e., treatment-as-prevention), access to and use
of biomedical prevention such as post-exposure prophylaxis and pre-exposure
prophylaxis, home-based testing, and male-circumcision. Given the political climate
regarding drug use in the Philippines, the viability of harm reduction and needle
exchange programs for HIV prevention must be carefully considered.
Conclusion
This review identifies an agenda for future HIV research that is needed to
address the growing and shifting nature of the HIV epidemic in the Philippines.

60
DELIVERY OF HEALTHCARE TO THE FILIPINO

FAMILY AND COMMUNITY
Members:
Payawal, Jenelous
Peralta, Crystal Kaye
Robles, Chelsea Ellace
Rufino, Jezle Jed
Sablayan, Juvi_Lee
San Juan, Marianna Arnica
Sangil, Evan Angelo

61
ARTICLE: DELIVERY OF HEALTHCARE TO THE FILIPINO FAMILY AND
COMMUNITY
Health Care in the Philippines
By International Citizens Insurance | Published on 2022
An Overview of the Philippine Healthcare System
The Philippines has accredited hospitals and well-trained medical providers. In

most cities, healthcare in the Philippines will be just as good, if not better, than in your
home country.
However, the Philippines is made up of more than 7,500 islands, and the country
has more than 20,000 miles of coastline. There are many remote areas within this
geography. Remote locations may not have up-to-date equipment or adequate staffing
levels, though the quality of health services will vary by facility and region.
Yet the healthcare system in the Philippines is steadily improving. The Philippine
Health Insurance Corporation, known as PhilHealth, aims to provide universal coverage;
expats and foreigners who legally reside in the Philippines can join this system for very
low premiums. With a range of public and private options, you’ll find that every kind of
healthcare need can be met in the Philippines.
PhilHealth and Healthcare in the Philippines
The PhilHealth program was set up in 1995 to provide affordable universal

coverage. In 2019, the country reached a major milestone with the Universal Health
Care (UHC) Law. PhilHealth covers all kinds of medical care, including preventive,
curative, and rehabilitative services. Thanks to the UHC Law, medical consultations and
diagnostic testing, including lab tests, began to be covered.
PhilHealth counts about 90% of the country’s population as members. Much of

the funding for the Philippines’ healthcare comes from “sin taxes” on alcohol and

62
tobacco. The first of these went into effect in 2012; its success resulted in additional
such taxes in later years. Many workers and employers also pay premiums that help
support PhilHealth.
PhilHealth has different membership categories that vary based on work status,
income, and age. The six major groups are:
● Formal Sector: Workers employed by public and private companies
● Indigents: Impoverished people subsidized by the national government
● Sponsored Members: People subsidized by their local governments
● Lifetime Members: Retirees and pensioners who previously paid 120 months of
premiums
● Senior Citizens: A category open to those who are 60 years of age or older, and
who do not qualify as Lifetime Members
● The Informal Economy: Self-employed people, migrant workers, and overseas

Filipino workers; expats who are legally living in the Philippines are eligible to join
PhilHealth in this category
Private and Public Care in the Philippines
In general, public hospitals and other public facilities handle preventive and
primary care in the Philippines. Private facilities provide specialized care in areas such
as cardiovascular disease or orthopedics.
Private care in the Philippines usually means additional comfort for patients. With
fewer people seeking care, it’s often faster to obtain treatment. Plus private facilities
have more up-to-date equipment. However, it is not necessary to visit a private facility to
be treated by an English-speaking doctor. If you seek care at a private facility, ensure
you have the funds available to pay for your treatment or verify if your international

63
medical insurance provider covers your costs.Barangay (village) health stations and
local health centers meet much of the country’s primary care needs. Public hospitals
have sometimes struggled with staffing levels, as care providers can often find
better-paying jobs in the private sector or by moving overseas. Due to the issues with
staffing and the fact that more patients seek care at these facilities, treatment delays are
not uncommon at public hospitals. Those who can afford it often turn to private settings.
Healthcare Options for Expats and Foreigners
International citizens who are legal residents in the Philippines are eligible to join
PhilHealth. Your membership could fall under the Formal Sector if a local business
employs you. However, if you are self-employed or a freelancer, you can join PhilHealth
as part of the Informal membership category.
PhilHealth benefits include inpatient and outpatient care, diagnostic testing,

prescription drugs, rehabilitation, and preventive services. Annual premium costs range
from less than USD$100 to over $700, depending on your income. To sign up for
PhilHealth, visit a local PhilHealth office or check if the online registration system is
accepting applications.
The Philippine healthcare system includes private medical facilities and care
providers. Many Filipinos join Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) via their
workplace to help with the costs of private healthcare. You may wish to look for an HMO
or sign up for international health insurance so you can visit private facilities without
having to worry about paying for everything out of pocket. Remember, visiting a private
hospital can be necessary to receive specialty care. In addition, you might wish to avoid
wait times! Short-term visitors such as tourists will not be covered by PhilHealth. As
such, they should carry their own travel medical coverage.

64
How to Access and Receive Healthcare in the Philippines
In urban areas, you will find both public and private hospitals that meet high
standards of care. We have compiled a list of the best international hospitals in the
Philippines for expatriates. You can also visit Joint Commission International, a site that
offers accreditation for international hospitals, to see if any facilities near you have
received their stamp of approval. You can also turn to local friends, colleagues, and
fellow expats for recommendations about which hospitals and clinics to visit in your
area. Fortunately, most healthcare providers speak English, so you shouldn’t have to
worry about communication difficulties.
Access to medical care can be limited in remote locations. It may take time to
receive emergency treatment, or such care may be completely unavailable. If you have
a medical condition that requires regular care, you may want to stick to more urban
areas during your stay in the Philippines. If you visit a remote area and start to feel
unwell, consider heading to the closest city in case your condition worsens.
Make sure to plan for how to pay for any medical care you receive. Without
health insurance, you may need to pay a substantial bill if you’re treated in a private
hospital.
Out-of-Pocket Costs in the Philippine Healthcare System
Though the Philippines has high-quality public health facilities and hospitals,
many people seek care in private settings. Private facilities not only have the latest
equipment and shorter wait times, but private hospitals also often specialize in different
areas of care. Someone with diabetes or cancer may only be able to receive necessary
care at a private hospital. However, if you get private treatment, you may have high
out-of-pocket costs. In addition, drugs are often imported into the Philippines, so some
medications are only available at high prices.

65
HMOs are one way to deal with out-of-pocket healthcare costs in the Philippines.
HMOs maintain a network of providers who members can see for care. Many regular
employees in the Philippines are able to enroll in an HMO through their employer’s
benefits package. If you don’t want to be limited to an HMO network, you can also sign
up for a private health insurance plan that should allow you to visit private healthcare
facilities without being overwhelmed by costs.
Reproductive Care in the Philippines
Catholic leaders (the Philippines is a majority-Catholic country) previously

challenged the legality of female hormonal contraceptives, but today this kind of
contraception is available in the Philippines. Birth control options now include
long-acting reversible contraceptives such as subdermal implants and IUDs, as well as
oral contraceptive pills and contraceptive hormonal injections.
Emergency contraception is not available in the Philippines, and abortion is

illegal in the country. There are no exceptions for pregnancies that are the result of rape
or incest. Termination of pregnancies that endanger the life of the pregnant person is of
questionable legality and in general, are not accessible.
Mental Health and Addiction Treatment
Treatment for mental health issues is relatively easy to obtain in Philippine cities.
Hospitals provide mental health services, and there are also private psychiatrists and
clinics to visit. Unfortunately, this type of care is not available in rural areas.
A violent war on drugs in the Philippines has resulted in the deaths of thousands
of drug users. But drug use has continued, while efforts to rehabilitate addicts have
been underfunded and disorganized.

66
Confronting Healthcare Challenges in the Philippines
The lack of benefits and low wages in public facilities has long led doctors and
nurses to leave the Philippines for work overseas. This “brain drain” of healthcare
workers is a serious problem for the Philippine healthcare system. In 2019, the country
had approximately one doctor or nurse per 20,000 residents, which is not considered
adequate to a population’s needs. The UHC Law seeks to transition Philippine
healthcare workers from contractual positions to regular staff members in the public
sector as a way to incentivize more healthcare workers to remain in the country.
The country is taking steps to send healthcare workers to areas that need more
providers. One was to award scholarships to doctors from different municipalities. These
doctors would then spend at least four years working in their home regions.
In 2018, the World Health Organization published The Philippines Health System
Review, which noted that available beds in Philippine hospitals were very low: 23 beds
per 10,000 individuals in the National Capital Region; outside the capital region, there
were fewer than ten beds per 10,000 individuals. Both large and small hospitals are
working to improve their facilities.
Today the Philippine healthcare system can turn to its Drug Price Reference
Index (DPRI) for pricing information. Drug prices may be higher than in the index, as
preparation and storage fees can be added to the final cost, but the reference helps
guard against unnecessarily high drug prices. Another cost-saving measure is a
mandate that public facilities prescribe generic drugs when possible.
COVID-19 and Healthcare
The Philippines suffered greatly during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Filipinos
have not rushed to get vaccinated. In 2017, children who were vaccinated against
dengue fever were given shots that caused the disease in some recipients. This

67
immunization scandal increased vaccine hesitancy in the country, which the healthcare
system is trying to combat.
Though healthcare in the Philippines isn’t perfect, the country has a system that
provides high-quality care to citizens and visitors alike. As a knowledgeable visitor, you’ll
have the peace of mind that comes with knowing how to access excellent care should
you need it.

68
NEWS: DELIVERY OF HEALTHCARE TO THE FILIPINO FAMILY AND COMMUNITY
OPINION: The Philippine Health Care System was Never Ready for a Pandemic
Editor’s note: Ronnie E. Baticulon is a physician at the Philippine General Hospital and
an associate professor at the University of the Philippines College of Medicine. The
opinions in this article are his.
Manila (CNN Philippines Life)
Last Tuesday morning, after doing patient rounds in Philippine General Hospital,
I came across two nurses from the emergency department, walking in the opposite
direction towards the hospital. It was the first workday after President Rodrigo Duterte
put Luzon on enhanced community quarantine, in an effort to mitigate the spread of the
novel coronavirus pandemic. Out of curiosity, I asked the nurses, “Paano kayo
nakapasok ngayon?” To my disbelief, they told me that they were from the graveyard
shift, and they could not find transportation to go home to Cavite. After working for eight
hours at the frontline of the country’s largest public hospital, they decided to walk to
Baclaran in Parañaque and take their chances, only to walk back to Pedro Gil in defeat.
When they asked policemen for help, their pleas were dismissed with “PGH dapat ang
mag-ayos niyan.”
Head nurses from different units shared the same lament: they didn’t have
enough staff. “Gustong pumasok pero walang masakyan,” they all said. On that day,
even cancer patients and those needing dialysis had been forced to walk to hospitals.
Never mind if the latter had hypertension or heart disease that led to kidney failure.
Shuttle services and bus routes for health care workers have since been organized, but
only after 24 hours of chaos.
When the number of COVID-19 cases began to rise in the National Capital
Region, it became immediately apparent that there was a staggering shortage of masks

69
and alcohol in hospitals, forcing PGH to launch a call for donations. Now let that sink in:
the national university hospital put out a call for personal protective equipment for its
frontliners. In a message to the PGH community, Director Gerardo Legaspi explained
that it was “not much due to the shortage of funds, but due to the difficulty of purchasing
the goods because of unavailable suppliers. If they were [available], the transactions
that [the suppliers] were demanding and the price they were quoting were beyond what
[the] government will allow us.”
Outpatient clinics are closed. Elective surgeries and admissions are suspended.
Dedicated wards and intensive care units are being vacated, in anticipation of the surge
of COVID-19 patients requiring admission over the next few weeks. Hospital staff have
been divided into cohorts to avoid putting an entire department or specialty in
quarantine. PGH serves over 600,000 patients every year, half a million in the outpatient
department. Of its 1,465 hospital beds, 1,088 are service beds (i.e. public). The
situation is similar in regional and district public hospitals, and even in the private
hospitals where the majority of patients remain admitted.
A colleague serving as a doctor to the barrio in Batanes is concerned because he

has symptomatic patients who fall under the Person Under Investigation category of the
Department of Health algorithm, and yet he can’t do anything because his hospital
doesn’t have the capability to test patients. They have only two critical care beds and
limited supplies. To say that this pandemic will have profound effects on health care
delivery nationwide is no exaggeration.
On March 18, the country breached the 200 mark with 17 deaths, as cases
surpassed 200,000 around the world. There is the lingering doubt on the accuracy of
the reported Philippine figures, likely an underestimate of true prevalence, as the
country awaits the arrival of more test kits, and out-of-protocol tests are being done on
politicians and their families. According to Health Under secretary Dr. Maria Rosario
Vergeire, modeling data predicts as many as 75,000 cases in three months.

70
The Philippines is not ready for this. We never were. In a 2018 review of the
Philippine health care system, Manuel M. Dayrit and his co-authors report that the
country has 101,688 hospital beds, distributed in 1,223 hospitals across the country.
Even if just 1 percent of the Philippines’ 107 million population (as of 2018, according to
the World Bank) get infected with COVID-19 (i.e. one million patients), assuming a 10
percent hospitalization rate, it is easy to see how our hospitals will be quite easily
overwhelmed. We have not even talked about the distribution of the specialist workforce
or the number of mechanical ventilators and ICU beds (required by 3 to 5 percent of
infected patients), nor have we taken into consideration patients with stroke and heart
attack who would need the same resources in the same time period.
The Imperial College London COVID-19 Response Team predicts that 81 percent
of the population of Great Britain and the United States will be infected throughout the
duration of the epidemic, leading to approximately 510,000 and 2.2 million deaths,
respectively, if the epidemic were unmitigated. They recommend an aggressive
suppression strategy that involves population-wide social distancing, case isolation, and
closure of schools and universities, but even in the most optimistic scenario, both
countries’ capacity limits would still be exceeded. For how long these measures have to
be implemented, nobody knows for certain. Experts agree it would take at least 12 to 18
months to develop a vaccine.
In the Philippines, 6 out 10 patients die without ever seeing a doctor. When
Filipinos get sick, they shoulder 56 percent of total health expenses, out-of-pocket. As a
result, every year, one million patients are driven to poverty because of catastrophic
health expenses. Although COVID-19 can infect anyone — regardless of race, social
class, or beliefs — the public must realize that specific segments of the population will
be more vulnerable to the social and economic impact of the current pandemic. It is not
as simplistic as “Stay at home and watch Netflix.” How can you expect contractual
employees to stay at home if their employers enforce a “no work, no pay” policy? If a
person living in the slums gets the disease, would it be second nature for them to seek

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consultation before infecting many others? Or would they dismiss it as “ubo at lagnat
lang” because the hospital is not accessible and they are worried about fees the consult
would entail? Unless the vulnerable are identified and protected, they will die by the
thousands, and they will not even be part of the statistics.
And what about the “indirect” deaths? Who keeps a tally of Filipinos who will die
from lack of available blood for transfusion, skipped dialysis sessions, delayed surgeries
for cancer, rescheduled radiotherapy sessions, missed antiretroviral medications,
uncontrolled hemorrhage from childbirth at home, or even from hunger? If the Philippine
health care system had been more robust and had safeguards in place, we would not
even have to worry about these. In a few months, when the world gets back to normal
— and we all hope it does — we will be, sadly and inevitably, counting lives lost. Let us
not make the mistake of blaming just the virus.

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JOURNAL: DELIVERY OF HEALTHCARE TO THE FILIPINO FAMILY AND
COMMUNITY
The Philippines Health System Review
By: Romualdez, A., dela Rosa, J. F., Flavier, J. D., Quimbo, S. L., Hartigan-Go, K.,
Lagrada, L., & David, L. (2018). The Philippines Health System Review (S. Kwon & R.
Dodd, Eds.; 2nd ed., Vol. 1). Asia Pacific Observatory On Health Systems And Policies.
(Original work published 2011)
The topic of health has become increasingly more important over the past few
decades in the Philippines. The country has implemented several rounds of reform to
strengthen its health system.Philippines adopted decentralized health governance in
1991, introduced a social health insurance programme – PhilHealth – in 1995, and has
actively pursued universal health coverage since 2010. As a consequence of its focus
on the health sector and general socioeconomic development, the Philippines has
achieved significant improvements in life expectancy and immunization coverage, as
well as a twofold reduction in infant and under-5 mortality.
Although much has been achieved to date, there are still many concerns in the
health sector that need to be tackled. These include a reduction in the prevalence of
tuberculosis and childhood pneumonia, as well as managing the rising tide of
noncommunicable diseases and further strengthening the preparation and response
capacity to natural and human-induced disasters.
There have been widespread efforts to improve health service delivery in the
country, but regional and socioeconomic disparities in the availability and accessibility of
resources are prominent. There is maldistribution of infrastructure and human resources
across and within regions, which are concentrated in Metro Manila and other major
cities. The Philippines is a major exporter of health-care professionals but finds it
challenging to ensure adequate availability within the country.

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Utilization of the health budget has improved over the years, but governance and
implementation challenges persist due to the fragmented nature of the system. The
country has a mixed health system with an expanding private sector. There is no
effective mechanism to regulate private for-profit health-care providers. More than 50%
of the total health spending is out of pocket. Coverage by the Philippine Health
Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) has increased over the years, but not all the eligible
members are aware of the benefits of the programme. There is no effective mechanism
in place to monitor the accreditation of facilities, and regulate the cost and quality of
services.
To overcome some of these challenges, the Department of Health (DOH) and

PhilHealth are pushing the development of functional Service Delivery Networks (SDNs)
using both government and private sector institutions. Simultaneously, there will be a
concerted effort to regulate and accredit all providers as well as ensure that end-users
understand the benefits that they are entitled to.
Current Trends and Challenges Encountered in the Road to Achieving Universal

Healthcare Coverage
The Philippines is a part of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

community and one of the fastest growing healthcare markets in the region. With regard
to healthcare, the Philippine Government has been looking at ways to achieve 100%
enrollment to PhilHealth by 2020. One of the means is by mandating all Filipinos to
enroll in PhilHealth. Currently, PhilHealth’s coverage is at about 92%.
An aging population, urbanization, and the rising middle class have led to an
increasing demand for healthcare services, as more people can afford quality
healthcare. Due to the huge gap in the Philippines’ healthcare delivery system,
abundant opportunities are available for key private participants to invest in the
healthcare sector. Private hospitals, pharmaceutical producers, and healthcare IT

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companies are expanding into the Philippines market, partially owing to the recently
launched AEC.
Lack of infrastructure and human resources is putting a strain on the healthcare

delivery system in the Philippines. The bed-to-population ratio is quite low and there is
still a huge gap in the number of doctors and nurses required to cater to the needs of
the growing population.
The healthcare delivery system in the Philippines is dominated by the public

sector (regional, provincial, municipal, and barangay level) while being supported by
private healthcare service providers. The implementation of Universal Health Care
(UHC) is already driving the demand across all sectors of healthcare. However, the
Philippines still requires a strong focus on infrastructure and skilled manpower.
The shortage of qualified personnel is a huge problem, especially in high-skill

fields such as radiology. The private sector is playing a huge role in helping the
government address the gaps in healthcare services. Generics is evolving into a huge
market due to the demand for low-cost medicine and strong government support.
Production of raw materials for medicines is now 100% open to foreign ownership,
creating an opportunity for the Philippines to emerge as a regional raw materials
manufacturing hub. Areas such as healthcare technology and diagnostics, that can
improve access to health information for making better healthcare choices, are growing
faster.

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RESEARCH: DELIVERY OF HEALTHCARE TO THE FILIPINO FAMILY AND
COMMUNITY
“Connecting Communities to Primary Care: A Qualitative study on the roles,

motivations and lived experiences of a community health workers in the
Philippines”
By Mallari, E., Lasco, G., Sayman, D. J., Amit, & et al. | Published on 2020
Background of the Study
Community health workers (CHWs) are an important cadre of the primary health
care (PHC) workforce in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The
Philippines was an early adopter of the CHW model for the delivery of PHC, launching
the Barangay (village) Health Worker (BHW) programme in the early 1980s, yet little is
known about the factors that motivate and sustain BHWs’ largely voluntary involvement.
This study aims to address this gap by examining the lived experiences and roles of
Barangay Health Workers (BHWs) in urban and rural sites in the Philippines.
In 1981, the Philippines was one of the first countries to implement at scale the
Alma Alta recommendation of PHC based on community participation. Operating at the
level of barangays or villages, the smallest unit of governance in the Philippines,
volunteer Barangay Health Workers (BHWs) have evolved to become an essential
component of the nation’s healthcare workforce. Barangay Health Workers (BHWs) are
key to the success of Philippine Community Health (PHC) and have been recognised by
their country's Congress.BHWs have now existed in the Philippines for almost four
decades and have often been commended in evaluations of local health systems and
community participation. The Philippine model of community health workers (BHWs) is
an excellent case study to explore what motivates and sustains BHWs on a largely
voluntary basis. Their success and sustainability relies on their ability to motivate and
mobilize community members to act as peer health advocates – and the difficulty of
realizing such community mobilization.

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Significance of the Study
This study aims to address and document the experiences and roles of barangay
health workers in selected urban and rural sites in the Philippines. The researchers will
use Campbell and Cornish’s approach that draws attention to relational and material
aspects of the social context of participation, enhancing understanding of facilitators to
community mobilization to improve health. This helps identify contextual dimensions
often neglected in the literature that undermine or support community members’
motivation to participate in the Barangay Health Worker programme and sustain their
involvement over time. As many countries are in the process of implementing new
Community Health Worker programmes or strengthening existing ones, the findings
from this study could inform ‘task shifting’ programmes and policies that seek to
empower and mobilize communities to take more control over their health by means of
community health workers, both in the Philippines and in other low- and middle-income
countries (LMICs).
Data Collection
A senior in-country, bilingual, social scientist researcher led the data collection
and supervised two in-country, bilingual, trained research assistants (one male, one
female) with relevant experience and backgrounds in communication and public health
in administering semi-structured interviews in pairs in Filipino. A total of 23 Barangay
Health Workers (BHWs) were purposefully recruited, 13 from Valenzuela City and 10
from Quezon province, to maximize diversity of experience in terms of length of service,
education and age, across the participating barangays. None received formal training as
a health professional prior to starting their roles as BHWs.
Interviews with Barangay Health Workers (BHWs) were conducted and audio
recorded in a secure place selected by participants between September 2018 and
October 2019, lasting 30–60 min. Interview guide focused on their motivations for

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becoming a Barangay Health Worker (BHW) and their day-to-day experiences of
developing their role and responsibilities. Anonymised transcripts were produced by
removing all personal identifiers and attributes, and participants were assigned a
pseudonym. All digital audio recordings, digitized research notes, and original and
anonymised transcript files were stored separately on secure, encrypted and password
protected servers or laptops. Consent forms and transcripts will be kept securely for
7 years thereafter.
Research Method
This cross-sectional qualitative study draws on 23 semi-structured interviews held

with barangay health workers from barangays in Valenzuela City (urban) and Quezon
province (rural). A mixed inductive/ deductive approach was taken to generate themes,
which were interpreted according to a theoretical framework of community mobilization
to understand how characteristics of the social context in which the Barangay Health
Worker programme that operates act as facilitators or barriers for community members
to volunteer as barangay health workers.
Data Analysis
Verbatim transcriptions in Filipino were analyzed using NVivo 12 software. The

senior social scientist led the open reading of the Filipino transcripts and several rounds
of coding using a thematic approach with the research assistants. After several rounds
of coding, analytical memos of emerging and recurring themes were shared with the
broader research team, who have expertise in primary health care, health system
strengthening in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and the local context, to
conduct interpretation and contextualisation via regular discussions in English, ensuring

the relevance and transferability of the results both locally and globally. The quality of
translations was assessed by bilingual senior researchers by checking and rechecking
transcripts against the translated interpretations.

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Results
Interviewees identified a range of motivating factors to seek and sustain their

barangay health worker roles, including a variety of financial and non-financial
incentives, gaining technical knowledge and skill, improving the health and wellbeing of
community members, and increasing one’s social position. Furthermore, ensuring
barangay health workers have adequate support and resources (e.g. allowances,
medicine stocks) to execute their duties, and can contribute to decisions on their role in
delivering community health services could increase both community participation and
the overall impact of the Barangay Health Worker programme.
Conclusion
These findings underscore the importance of the symbolic, material and relational
factors that influence community members to participate in Community Health Worker
programmes. Regarding the symbolic context, which refers to relevant meanings,
ideologies or worldviews that shape community perceptions of the Barangay Health
Worker programme, the participants’ accounts indicate that the barangay health worker
role is respected by community members and confers social status, which are two
widely recognised factors known to motivate individual community health workers. In
regards to material context, several described how the health knowledge and skills
acquired as barangay health workers not only allowed them to perform their assigned
tasks effectively, but also enhanced their roles as the carers and educators of family and
friends. The factors that have contributed most to the success and longevity of the
Barangay Health Worker programme in the Philippines is the relational context, which
encourages community participation through the prospect of being involved in
leadership, decision-making, and the building of social capital.
The lessons drawn could help to improve the impact and sustainability of similar
programmes in other parts of the Philippines and that are currently being developed or
strengthened in other low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

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HEALTH-RELATED ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVITY
Members:
Santos, Danica
Sardillo, Angelo
Sarnicula, Zachary
Tong, Jonathan
Verdillo, Caryll Jay
Villaflores, Macey Nina
Villaseñor, Danielle Louise

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ARTICLE: HEALTH-RELATED ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVITY
Health-Related Entrepreneurial Activities in the Community Setting
By University of Washington | Published on 2021

Wellness Clinic
A wellness clinic is a facility where medical specialists, nutritionists, and life

coaches offer a range of treatments and services to improve their patient's physical,
mental, emotional, occupational, intellectual, environmental, and social well-being.
Internal medical, skin care services, body services including fitness services, personal
training, nutrition consulting, and other alternative treatments like chiropractic,
acupuncture, or holistic medicine are all combined in the Philippine environment.
Wellness clinics provide a variety of services. These facilities support treating the
body as a whole, from preventative care to treatment and management of health
conditions. Major illnesses include additional side effects, including heightened stress,
physical exhaustion, or weakness. Wellness clinics can assist with significant medical
concerns brought on by illness or disease and provide coping skills to improve the
overall quality of life.
Fitness Club
A fitness club is a place of business that offers facilities and equipment for
working out and enhancing physical fitness. It provides a secure exercise setting and is
watched over by qualified staff. It also offers a range of fitness equipment that can be
used. Because there are so many alternatives, exercise can be done in various ways
using everything from free weights to cardio equipment to core stability equipment.
Several fitness clubs offer group workout classes. Typical and well-liked group exercise
sessions include spinning, body pump, yoga, pilates, circuit training, and tai chi.

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Health Fair Hosting
Hosting a health fair is an excellent opportunity to engage the community,

promote a health idea or medical equipment, or educate kids about their bodies. A vital
component of education and preventative medicine is health fairs. Additionally, they
may make it easier to treat some problems earlier. In addition to offering general
information on good health and preventive medicine, health fairs frequently give
screenings and assessments, such as blood pressure or cardiovascular health, to help
guests identify any problems and start down the path to better health.
Health fairs are the ideal resource for a wide range of audiences, including
school-aged children from elementary to high school, college students, entire families,
senior citizens, and office workers. They convey essential information about the human
body and its functions in a fun and interactive way. Medical professionals, such as
doctors and nurses, looking for the newest and greatest medical devices or wanting to
learn more about pharmaceutical breakthroughs might also benefit from attending
health fairs. Through hands-on experience with the materials, health fair volunteers and
staff also benefit from them.
Health-Based Smartphone App
Many aspects of clinical practice have changed due to health care professionals
(HCPs) using mobile devices. The prevalence of mobile devices in healthcare
environments has sped up the creation of medical software applications (apps) on these
platforms. HCPs can now use various applications to help them with crucial duties,
including time management, information collection, health record access and
maintenance, communication, consultation, patient management, clinical
decision-making, and medical education and training.
There are apps for electronic prescribing, diagnosis and treatment, practice
management, coding and invoicing, CME, and e-learning, among other uses for the
medical industry. Numerous apps, including pharmacological reference guides, medical

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calculators, clinical guidelines, and other decision support tools, textbooks, and
literature search portals, are available to help answer clinical practice queries and other
inquiries at the point of treatment. Even mobile applications can perform essential
medical exams like hearing and vision tests or simulate surgical procedures. To provide
a resource that may enhance outcomes at the point of care, many mobile apps are
designed to complement desktop applications rather than to replace them completely
(Ventola, 2014).
The following list of health-related smartphone apps is available in the

Philippines:
(a) Medifi. In order to relieve the "overburdened" Philippine healthcare

system, Medifi began operating in 2015. Medifi guarantees to link you with a
doctor online wherever you are as one of the few telehealth providers available
24/7. You can look for a particular specialist through the company's official Medifi
app or connect with an online doctor randomly.
(b) KonsultaMD. A 24-hour helpline that offers phone-based medical care.

Health Plans include access to partner benefits, e-medical certificates,
e-laboratory requests, e-prescriptions, and unlimited phone consultations.
(c) HealthNow. By offering 24/7 online medical consultations via video

conferencing, HealthNow differentiates itself from other telehealth businesses in
the Philippines. HealthNow provides the Consult Now and the Consult Later
online medical consultation services.
(d) AIDE. It established its online medical consultation option on its app even
though it is best recognized as a platform for home health care. As a result, AIDE
currently offers one of the industry's most complete online telehealth offerings. Its
various services include laboratory testing, physical therapy, immunizations, and
nursing care.

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Wellness/Health Coaching
A wellness coach, often referred to as a health coach, is a supportive mentor

who helps clients set health goals including weight loss, more energy, better stress
management, among other things. Through health and wellness coaches, they act as
mentors who hold clients accountable while bridging the gap between traditional
healthcare and the implementation of sustainable and positive behavioral lifestyle
changes. They are crucial members of the wider healthcare team because of this.
The clients' development of the resilience advantage that long-term behavior

modification brings about in terms of health and wellness results is their primary goal.
Health and wellness coaching aims to assist patients or clients in identifying and
defining their values, gaining fresh insight into their lifestyle choices, and better
understanding the options and pathways open to them for problem-solving. The patient
or client will eventually define goals, take on some responsibility, and develop positive
self-determination as a result of following this route to self-discovery.
Healthy Restaurant or Cafe
Traditional dishes have been improved to be healthier by using organic and

environmentally friendly ingredients and techniques in health cafes or diet cafes. They
fulfill the needs of their guests' lifestyles as well as their palates.The largest danger to
consumer health has been poor eating habits. Health issues have been made worse by
overeating foods with high caloric contents and the use of preservatives. Consumers
may desire to change to a healthier lifestyle that includes eating healthily because they
are becoming more conscious of the negative effects that bad eating habits have on
their health and fitness.
By providing nutritious cuisine to customers and fostering sustainability, nutrition

cafés can strike the right balance. It is just a matter of time before the healthy food
sector grows and integrates into the mainstream of the food and beverage industry,
given the increasing customer preferences for health and wellbeing.

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Health and Nutrition Food and Business
One of the main things going through considerable change globally is food.
Consumers are assessing their increased awareness of food quality in each meal as a
result of a widespread luxury lifestyle. These occurrences are rising as a result of
food-related illnesses like diabetes brought on by high blood sugar levels and obesity
brought on by fast food. Thus, consumers everywhere are demonstrating a keen
interest in lifestyle prevention as opposed to a therapeutic approach to food.
People today have adapted to eating better and staying healthy as a way to live
well. This shift in the food industry for health is expected given that businesses have
adopted the health and wellness movement for the benefit of their customers' better
health.
In recent years, customers have had access to more information about the food
they eat because of the development of the internet in the field of nutrition and food.
About what is healthy and what is not, all of the clients were well-informed. The global
market for wellness foods increased by 12.8% between 2015 and 2017.Consumers'
efforts to reduce the complexity of their diet food by investigating and preserving
delivery time. EatFit and other health delivery services innovate because people are
prepared to pay money to save time, which increases the flexibility that the Internet age
has made possible.
The emergence of subscription meal boxes created a significant opportunity for

alternative business models in the food industry, opening up several channels for
healthy food. Delivery meal boxes that emphasize meals for health and wellness, like
oatmeal and diet salads. This is the outcome of growing innovation aimed at consumers
who only want organic foods, dairy- and gluten-free options, or unrefined carbs, which is
presenting a growth potential for the food industry business for health.

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Herbal Medicine Clinic
Herbal Medicine Clinic is an institution where clients benefitting from herbal

medicine treatments for a wide range of health problems. Many times, people decide to
see a medical herbalist because they feel "stuck" and are not getting better with
conventional modern medicine. It needs to take a different approach because traditional
medicines and doctors don't always work.
Herbalists are skilled at treating persistent complaints that may not be improving
with other treatments. They do this by addressing nutritional imbalance, promoting
healthy lifestyle changes, listening sympathetically, and combining our own special
herbal prescription. Even though it is soothing and soft, herbal medicine has a high
potency, therefore it is important to take concomitant medical conditions and
prescriptions into account.
A trained medical herbalist is a person with clinical expertise in diagnosis as well

as training in plant medicine. In the UK, herbalists have a long tradition and employ a
holistic approach to medicine. Workshops, short courses, apprenticeships, and degree
programs are all options for studying herbalism. The National Institute of Medical
Herbalists is the oldest professional organization in the UK for herbal medicine (NIMH).
Using herbs and plants for health is the most ancient form of medicine and, in
fact, remains the most common form of medicine in use today. The World Health
Organization estimates that 80% of the global population rely at least partially on herbal
medicines for their primary health care needs, and the use of herbal remedies is so
widespread that most people do not even realize that they are using them.
Ailments that are emotional, energetic, or spiritual in nature may be treated using
herbal therapy. The drugs can also be taken constitutionally, utilizing the person's
unique body and personality. Some herbalists use astrology and other techniques in

86
their work, working with the stars as well. It is an extensive art form with several usage
variations.
Primary Care Center
The first point of contact between a patient and the healthcare system is primary
care, which gives people access to the knowledge and tools they need for the best
possible health outcomes.Those in primary care typically treat a wide variety of patients
and have in-depth knowledge of the various physical, psychological, and social
conditions that may affect their patients.
Primary care's main goal is to improve public health by making access to

healthcare simple. It also emphasizes the whole person rather than just the condition of
a single organ, system, or disease. By preventing or resolving any current or potential
health issues, it seeks to enhance their overall health and wellbeing. According to the
World Health Organization (WHO), there are several key roles that primary care
practitioners fulfill in their pursuit of this goal. These include:
● Providing a wider coverage of health care
● Preventing social disparities in health care
● Organizing health services to meet health needs
● Helping to make health and health care a part of public policy in every sphere
● Helping to train leaders in effective health care
● Increasing the level of participation by all those who have a stake in health,
whether patients, physicians, public health workers, or those in the allied health
services

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Primary care, when properly implemented, improves patient health and lowers
the financial burden on the public health system. Less hospitalizations and less demand
for secondary and tertiary healthcare services are contributing factors in this.
Home Health Care Business
A very broad industry, home health care can mean different things to different
people. Some people use the term to refer to both skilled and non-medical home health
care.Non-medical home health care typically involves helping seniors who want to stay
in their homes with daily activities. Meal preparation, housekeeping, and transportation
are a few examples of these services.
On the other hand, skilled home health care entails the delivery of nursing or
therapeutic services to patients in their homes instead of a hospital or medical facility.
From 2010 through 2015, the industry saw a moderate but steady four percent growth.
This growth is due, in large part, to an aging U.S. population. The population aged 65
years and older is expected to increase from 12.4 percent in 2000 to 19.6 percent by
2030.
A total of 1.7 million people are employed by the more than 386,000 home health
care businesses that currently exist in the United States. The advantages and
disadvantages of wading into these waters are represented by this. It is an appealing
business for eager entrepreneurs because there is a low barrier to entry and a growing
demand. But as a result, there is frequently fierce regional competition, which must be
anticipated if a new venture is to succeed.

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NEWS: HEALTH-RELATED ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVITY
Entrepreneurs and Covid-19 Solving Problems of Today for a Better Tomorrow
By Drexel University | Published on July 23, 2021
Entrepreneurship In A Crisis: Solving Today’s Problems For A Better Tomorrow

A pandemic like COVID-19 has adverse effects on the economy and
development of businesses. However, innovators and entrepreneurs who think outside
the box can help develop the technologies and solutions that will have a lasting and
positive impact in the post-pandemic climate. This pandemic has helped rapidly
advance industries across the board and has sped up technological innovation across
the world. In times of uncertainty, innovation helps us overcome many of the current
challenges we face - and there is no one more capable in rising to the challenge than
our future entrepreneurs.
Social entrepreneurs can shed light on community needs in times of crisis as

they work to affect a positive change. Whether it is a social entrepreneur providing relief
aid for their community, companies using entrepreneurial thinking to pivot their business
and help in times of need, or the next budding tech entrepreneurs creating simple
solutions to a major societal problem, entrepreneurs can make a real impact in deterring
the long-lasting economic effects experienced during a pandemic.
Social Entrepreneurship During COVID-19

From a global effort to a grassroots movement, social entrepreneurs can make a
huge impact on progress. Social entrepreneurs look to make a change in cultural,
environmental, and societal issues. No matter how small or large the company. Local
Philadelphia social entrepreneur, Evan Ehlers, is a prime example with his exemplary
work during COVID-19. Ehlers, an alumnus of the Charles D. Close School of
Entrepreneurship and the Founder and Executive Director of Sharing Excess, has led
the efforts to rescue and distribute nearly 30,000 pounds of food in just 14 days that

89
would have otherwise been thrown out as restaurants were forced to close their doors.
Whether a social entrepreneur is helping to stop a community from going hungry, raising
money to donate to those in need, or simply helping others - being kind in times of
uncertainty goes a long way.
Additionally, social entrepreneurs make a difference in their communities not just

through their actions, but through the modeling of a solution and inspiration of others.
And, maybe, even sparking the next generation of entrepreneurs to join the cause.
Through all of their effort, the main question stands: how will you make a difference?
Entrepreneurial Thinking In Times Of Crisis

COVID-19 gave businesses the opportunity to be more entrepreneurial and
forced them to move past their comfort zones to become agile problem solvers. As
stores began to sell out of basic protective equipment and hospitals had to begin
worrying about reusing medical gear, entrepreneurial solutions came to the rescue.
Hundreds of companies, who had no prior experience producing medical
supplies/equipment, began to pivot and grow their business offering while helping
others through the manufacturing and distribution of vital resources in the fight against
the pandemic.
Faber Distilling Co. of Quakertown, Pennsylvania is one of such companies.

Faber shifted from producing alcoholic beverages to manufacturing hand sanitizer.
While many distilleries across the country joined this movement, Faber not only scaled
up their production to create sanitizer for consumers, first responders, and medical
professionals but also made the decision to donate portions of their sales to the medical
community. Other examples of industries pivoting over the past few months include car
manufacturers producing ventilators, timber companies producing personal protective
equipment, and companies such as Emergency Information Systems (A Baiada
Resident company) that went from creating reflective signs for campus emergencies to
creating safety gear and social distancing guides for the public.

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By embracing an entrepreneurial mindset and acting with agility, businesses
have seen an increase in revenue, a boost in morale (knowing that their work is making
a difference), and the know-how to not only keep their business moving but to help it
grow in never before imagined ways!
Technology: Five Years In Eight Weeks

Recent data from McKinsey & Company on global consumer sentiment during
the coronavirus shows that we pushed five years forward in both consumer and
business adoption in just a short eight weeks. Grocery stores are shifting to shopping
online and deliveries, schools around the world are going 50-100% online, and artificial
intelligence is helping doctors in the ICU to increase accurate times a patient needs a
ventilator while virtual reality has moved from majorly being used for entertainment by
companies to become a critical device for technical training. These are just a few of the
numerous industries that have been propelled forward by the global crisis and the
entrepreneurial minds of innovators. With COVID-19 still spreading across the world,
and countries like the United States expected to have a second wave of cases, the
need for talented thinkers and creative problem solvers has become imminent. Such
skills are no longer just coveted by companies for their improvement but are now relied
upon for survival.
Overall innovation leads to new jobs and the world will need people to help
create those jobs. Entrepreneurs will be on the economic front lines to find emerging
opportunities and create new processes and progress in our economy. Drexel’s 3 Year
Degree* will develop highly capable and entrepreneurial-minded college grads that will
be at the forefront of this change.

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JOURNAL: HEALTH-RELATED ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVITY
Health-Related Entrepreneurial Activities
By Our Lady of Fatima University | Published on 2018
Project EntrepreNurse
The "Project EntrepreNurse" program will pave the way for the formation of local
nurse cooperatives, launching a brand-new home healthcare sector across the nation.
Project EntrepreNurse is a DOLE initiative to encourage nurse entrepreneurship by
establishing a home healthcare sector in the Philippines, in partnership with BON-PRC,
DOH, PNA, UPCN, OHNAP, and other government and non-government entities:
● Bringing primary healthcare services to underserved rural communities will help

lower healthcare costs for the nation's poor population;
● To increase opportunities for employment for the nation's unemployed nurses

and;
● To use the nation's unemployed health professionals to deliver public health

services and help the government reach its maternal and child health MDGs, in
line with the Department of Health's Formula One for Health framework.
The Davao Region will be the pilot area for the program. There will be one
nurses' cooperative for each of the five provinces and one for Davao City. It was chosen
as the pilot area because Dole regional Director Jalilo dela Torre conceptualized the
idea for the program. Almost 500 nurses in Region 11 have joined forces to create
nurse cooperatives, and they are currently working to meet the requirements to be
registered as cooperatives with the Cooperative Development Authority. Following
registration, MASICAP will help them create business plans they can use to apply for
grants from public and private sources. Local governments, PhilHealth's capitation fund,
foreign donors, and migrant Filipino organizations abroad are a few potential sources of

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income for the cooperatives. The DOH will be a vital resource for information on the
delivery of health services in underserved rural areas. The Davao del Norte group,
encouraged by the governor's declaration of unwavering support, had already registered
for the CDA.
The program's strategy is to encourage nurses to organize cooperatives with at

least 500 nurse members and manage nurses' clinics, sending newly licensed nurses to
underdeveloped rural communities with little to no access to primary healthcare.
Experienced and trained nurses will operate these clinics.
The Possible Entrepreneurship and Job Options for Medical Practitioners
Academic sector job opportunities or job options
● Teachers/Professors
● Clinical Instructor for Nurses
● Academic Research Assistants
● Field Coordinators
Health sector job opportunities or job options
● Part Time RHU / Hospital Nurses

● Manage / Operate Birthing Centers
● Manage / Operate Care for Homes of Elderly, Differently-abled Persons
and other Patients Needing Chronic Care
● Part Time or Full Time Private Nurses ( In the home of patients who can
afford to pay)
● Medical Representative for drug stores/companies
● Medical Research Consultants/Assistants
● Technical Assistance Consultants/Providers

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Business sector opportunities or job options
● Transcription services (international) and engage in other

non-nursing related enterprise
Collaborating Agencies
Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)
The Department of Labor and Employment, also known as

DOLE, is a government agency in the Philippines tasked with
upholding workers' rights and promoting the social and
economic welfare of the workforce.
Moreover, it oversees all management and direction and offers

grants to nurses' cooperatives, which the latter will utilize as seed money in addition to
providing leadership and guidance. The DOLE will help the nurses form cooperatives or
associations and register with the appropriate government agency through its regional
offices.
Department of Health (DOH)
The leading health organization in the Philippines is the

Department of Health (DOH). By providing high-quality medical
treatment and regulating suppliers of health goods and services, it
is accountable for ensuring that all Filipinos have access to
essential public health services. Concerning Project
Entrepreneurs, the DOH develops healthcare returns.

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Occupational Health Nurses Association of the Philippines, Inc. (OHNAP)
The Occupational Health Nurses Association of the Philippines

(OHNAP), Inc. is a professional, non-stock, non-profit organization
of nurses employed in industrial, agricultural, commercial,
educational, service (hotel & restaurant), government, and
non-government organizations. Referrals of patients are also
aided by it. In support of this program, OHNAP takes the lead in
developing or revising health policies, including patient referral to the project's nurses'
cooperation.
UP College of Nursing
The University of the Philippines College of Nursing is a leading

nursing institution that promotes nursing development globally
and serves as a change agent for the Filipino people's health
needs. The World Health Organization Collaborating Center
(WHOCC) designated the College of Nursing as a resource for
nursing development in primary healthcare. Additionally, the UP
College of Nursing conducts research on the socioeconomic
impact of the Project Entreprenurse.
Professional Regulation Commission, Board of Nursing (PRC-BON)
The Nurse Practice Act is implemented by the Professional

Regulation Commission, Board of Nursing, or PRC-BON, which
also advocates to Congress for any proposed amendments to
legislation that have a direct bearing on the practice of nursing.
The PRC-BON encourages nurse entrepreneurship among the
nation's nursing students and colleges in schools and conducts

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research on whether nurse entrepreneurship should be taught as part of the BSN
curriculum.
Philippine Nurses Association (PNA)
Since its incorporation in 1922, the Philippine Nurses

Association (PNA) has been an “outlet” for all Filipino nurses in
addressing diverse concerns, from their workplaces to the
pressing matters affecting their rights as Filipino citizens. Also,
the PNA provides research and formulation costing standards
that our nurses’ cooperatives can use to fix the cost of their
services.
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)
The Department of Trade and Industry, also known as DTI, is

the executive branch of the Philippine government charged with
serving as the primary economic engine that fosters inclusive,
competitive, and job-creating businesses as well as consumer
empowerment. The DTI protects consumers through consumer
education and information dissemination initiatives and
oversees the efficient implementation and enforcement of trade
regulation and fair trade laws. In addition, consumer alerts, tips, and advisories are
among the informational resources that are frequently updated and provided. The DTI
created and conducted a training program for nurses' cooperatives on entrepreneurship
development.

96
Challenges in Health-Related Activities in the Community Setting
Financial and Investment Hurdles
Long-standing usage of inadequate financing mechanisms for healthcare

enterprises threatens an increasing portion of the economic growth, promoting the
expansion of the healthcare industry. The slow rate of entrepreneurship in this sector is
partly a reaction to the overall economy and markets. Still, it is also a result of the
shortage of funding for new healthcare businesses. Despite their potential for mutually
advantageous organizational and financial benefits, partnerships and strategic ventures
may not have received the attention they deserved. This may be one reason there
haven't been many entrepreneurial activities recently in the health services sector.
People with innovative ideas for improving health and health care must look at
approaches for capital acquisition that have been effective in other industries and at
comparable phases of development as funding becomes more scarce for innovators.
Entrepreneurs may be able to harness resources, tame business swings, and improve
long-term prospects with additional funds and skills.
Rampant Bureaucracy
In terms of the business environment, particularly entrepreneurship, Max Weber

contributed to the growth of this hotly, intensely contested subject through several
writings and research projects in the 1910s, where he compared the entrepreneur with
the bureaucrat. The bureaucracy tends to gain necessary as society gets more logical
and has the potential to take over individual enterprises. The only individual who can
limit bureaucracy in the workplace is the entrepreneur, though. As a result, only the
business owner may know the company better than the bureaucrats.
Many countries are facing a significant problem: encouraging future

entrepreneurs to invest in starting a business. Due to widespread issues, encouraging

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aspiring business owners to participate in venture capital is necessary. The bureaucracy
that controls the countries' public institutions and its effects on enterprises are a
significant concern. The high quantity of taxes and the time required to pay them are
just two of the detrimental consequences bureaucracy has on the business climate.
Additionally, the time required to gather the data and paperwork needed to start a
business or get specific permissions. In this instance, the bureaucratic phenomenon's
rules and regulations obstruct the efficient operation of economic activities.
Abiding by Corporate and Government Regulations
The healthcare sector is both a service and an industry. Therefore, it must be

regulated in order for the laws to be adequately upheld. The goal of regulatory actions is
to instill in organizations and systems the proper healthcare practices, rules, and
motivations. Routine checks and initiatives to improve excellent practice and a
successful healthcare culture are some regulatory efforts. On the other hand,
obsequious intrusion of regulations may fail to acknowledge actual issues with attitude
and a non-professional approach to healthcare, is unable to adapt to challenges and
changes in the sector, and may even encourage a bureaucratic pattern of mechanically
following the rules rather than considering the welfare of patients.
Competition in the Form of Giant Multinational Corporations
On health care and public health initiatives, corporate-managed care has had a
number of significant implications. Limited access for patients in vulnerable populations
and lower spending for medical services as part of more expenditure on administration
and yield to shareholders are some examples of these impacts. Important problems
existed in the health care sector prior to the reforms. For instance, lack of resources
affected personnel, maintenance of equipment and installations, and supply of
medications, leading to deterioration in working conditions and delivery of services.

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RESEARCH: HEALTH-RELATED ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVITY
Entrepreneurial Activity in Community Health Promotion Organizations: Findings

from an Ethnographic Study
By M. Zasada | Published on January 17, 2019

Abstract
Community health promotion organizations should be mindful of the social and cultural
implications of following the entrepreneurial route to income generation. Policymakers
need to be more aware of the challenges community health promotion organizations
face in taking on entrepreneurial ways of working. This paper aims to examine the
suitability of a social enterprise model for community health promotion organizations
working in disadvantaged neighborhoods. It focuses on organizational culture, social
resources and capacity as prerequisites for entrepreneurial activities. It is based on
ethnographic case studies in England including semi-structured interviews with the
organizations’ staff, trustees and external stakeholders, participant observation, creative
method workshops with staff and feedback meetings with staff and trustees.The
research limitation include studying three organizations allowed comparative analysis,
however time constraints limited access to some stakeholders and meant that the
researcher could not be continuously present. Fieldwork generated a series of
“snapshots” of each organization at several time points.This article contributes new
empirical insights into the process of community health promotion organizations
adopting entrepreneurial ways of working. This is underpinned by Bourdieu's concept of
habitus which provides a new theoretical lens for examining the social and cultural
aspects of this transition.

99
Methodology
The research project was carried out as a multi-case study with each case
following a similar course of fieldwork. Investigating several cases gave some insight
into the diversity and significance of factors which could contribute to the organizations’
ability to adopt a hybrid organizational model. This study involved three English
community health promotion organizations: Health Connections, Healthy Millborough
and Overton Wellbeing Group1 . The organizations were chosen on the basis that they
aimed to improve health in a local area (without focus on any particular social group or
specific health condition), applied a community-centered approach to health and
wellbeing (South, 2015: 15) and worked in an area which included neighborhoods
classified as the 3% most deprived in England (Index of Multiple Deprivation score)
according to 2010 Office for National Statistics data.
Discussion
Despite facing similar circumstances of withdrawal of support from public

agencies and an increasingly competitive funding environment, the three studied
organizations were in very different positions. In Health Connections well-managed
hybridity became perceived as a necessity, but also as a way of fulfilling their
organizational potential and their mission of responding to local need. A business-like
approach to generating income was embraced, but caused tensions within the
organization. Healthy Millborough was keen to generate additional income through
business activity, but was not well equipped to do so. In the case of Overton Wellbeing
Group, hybridisation was not considered a viable option from the onset and, at the time
of research, they were maintaining services by relying solely on a grant and participant
contributions. The differences between the three organizations were largely a reflection
of the variation in their access to social resources.

100
Conclusion
This article examines the ability of community health promotion organizations to

hybridize in the context of changing economic and political circumstances. The research
findings suggest that community health promotion organizations can become more
entrepreneurial, but their willingness and ability to do so depends on the social and
cultural resources, such as pre-existing capacity, competencies and personal
predispositions, available in the organizations themselves and in their environment.
Those which lack these resources may struggle to adopt ways of working that are alien
to their egalitarian “way of life” and are therefore less likely to attempt or maintain an
entrepreneurial approach to funding their work.

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CONCLUSION
1. What is the importance of the research activity to the subject Community

Health Nursing?
The research activity is important to the subject of Community Health Nursing

because it enables us to easily comprehend the health situation in the Philippines.
Numerous pieces of information have been stored away in the back of our minds while
we conduct research on this. Being aware of what is going on around us is our primary
responsibility as members of our community. The health condition in the Philippines
cannot be ignored or treated as if it were unimportant. After all, the goal of community
health nursing is to guarantee that everyone in the Philippines has access to
cost-effective and high-quality health care. Furthermore, by clearing previous
misunderstandings, opening the door for new treatment procedures, and developing
new techniques, each result from these research activities helped to improve the
patient's health and well being that causes the Philippines current state of health to
develop and advance more. As future nurses, we must always bear in mind the value of
research since it will increase our understanding of our field, keep us updated with
every information about health and enable us to deliver better patient care in all aspects
of the community.
The research activity is important to the subject Community Health Nursing

because this helped us understand the community health programs being made to
improve the quality of life of the people. Specifically, researching about the collaboration
and partnership enlightened us about the community’s efforts to connect with different
people in order to address the problems and to enhance the community. This research
activity also provided new knowledge for us, student nurses, that we can use and apply
as we are studying and when we become community health nurses. Lastly, this activity

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allowed us to understand why it is important to collaborate, because it also helps us
grow and learn new things from the people we partner with as they may have different
ideas and perspectives that can enhance the way we think and do things.
Community health nursing, also known as primary health care and nursing
practice in a community setting that ensures that everyone in the community will have
accessible and good-quality health care. In this research activity, we could learn to
retrieve, read, critique, and apply that basic knowledge in the community with the
people in need. The journal, articles, news articles, and other resources give us
essential knowledge we could use in medical practice, especially in community settings.
This helps us determine how critical it is to learn how to apply technologies in health
care services, primarily in the community, in the midst of a pandemic in which
community interaction is limited. This will hinder some community health care from
properly assessing the healthcare needs of every person in the community, and it will
also be hard to reach some people if there are training, seminars, or webinars about
healthcare. Most importantly, this activity gives future nurses an idea that there's a way
to reach out and provide healthcare in the community without risking our safety.
Current Trends in Public Health: Global and National
Life for an individual becomes hell after being tested positive for AIDS. It is not only
the disease but also the social stigma and discrimination, felling of being not loved and
being hated acts as a slow poison. We need to instill the belief among them, through
our love and care, that HIV positive patients can still lead a long and healthy life.
Though AIDS is a disease, which cannot be cured or eradicated from society, the only
solution to AIDS lies in its prevention and awareness. We must have our regular and
periodical health checkup so that we don’t fall prey to such deadly diseases. We must
also encourage and educate others to do the same. With the widespread awareness

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about the disease, much fewer adults and children are dying of AIDS. The only way to
fight the AIDS disease is through creating awareness.
Remember AIDS does not discriminate against cast, creed , religion , education
or social status. Prevention of AIDS is our joint responsibility. Education and awareness
is the only weapon in our hands.
Community Health-based Research is collaborative research that provides

updated information on the current situation in the local and international communities.
The nurses need to know the current trends in the community to guide them to be
efficient in giving improved care to the community. Research-proven practices enable
nurses to endorse patients more effectively and deliver the highest quality of care. In
order to promote public health, community health nurses collaborate with other
professionals (in public health and other fields). These essential responsibilities guide
the work of all community health nurses, regardless of position or preferred setting.
Community health nurses deliver services within the community according to standards
of care, participate in research, and offer professional consultation. Community health
nurses have historically performed a variety of tasks. Since the beginning, nurses in the
field of practice of CHN have cared for the sick, promoted healthy lifestyles and
self-care, fought for the rights of vulnerable people, created and operated healthcare
programs, given leadership, and worked with other professionals. All to improve
healthcare services by creating research to increase public health knowledge about
public health issues and improve the health status of the community.
Health-related entrepreneurial activities are significantly crucial for both

healthcare professionals and clients. Not only do they provide healthcare workers find
ways to generate earnings, but they also help clients to have accessible healthcare
along the process. In a community setting, nurse entrepreneurs may provide health

104
services while doing business for themselves. These services mainly cater to health
promotion, disease prevention, consultations, or any other services fit for the
community. Additionally, it helps provide access to goods and services for residents.
Entrepreneurs provide jobs, income, and quality of life that make communities desirable
places to live. In this aspect, residents are also actively collaborating with healthcare
workers to create a healthy community to live in. Health-related entrepreneurial
activities also encompass formulating community-based projects that focus on helping
specific areas and apparent concerns of the community. Moreover, the government
supports these endeavors through programs such as Project EntrepreNurse, which
aims to encourage nurses to form cooperatives within their localities. Furthermore, to be
a nurse entrepreneur requires proper training, knowledge, credibility, and the use of
experiences that they have accumulated over the years that they have worked in
communities to capitalize on their skills while saving lives and serving others.
2. How is the research activity related to problems in our present-day world

and how can it help us?
The article, research, journal and news give an update on the current Philippine
Health Situation. There are many things happening in the country which are out of our
control, for example brain drain, wherein the Filipino doctors find work in other
countries, leaving the medical industry understaffed, the fight against the illegal
narcotics, and lastly the slow emergency response. So it is important that we must
prepare for it. The most significant thing our research can help with is adapting to the
different circumstances we experience. Furthermore, the information gathered will serve
as a guidance to try and solve different problems little by little.
In our world full of problems, having an idea of how research works helps us
understand something, like how we can solve a problem with the help of other people.

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As individuals living in this modern world, we have been dealing with many crises that
sometimes can't be solved by ourselves. This research activity helps to understand how
collaboration and partnership became influential for everyone. Collaborating with people
around us creates relationships and active mutual growth to solve a specific task or
problem without consuming time by combining everyone's knowledge and skills.
According to John C. Maxwell, teamwork makes the dream work each of us contributes
to the success of everyone.
With the growing population and ever-changing world facing different challenges
and global crises, our healthcare stepped up its game to meet the needs of its people.
The information technology in our present-day world helps us with such problems as it
revolutionizes the healthcare industry and its technological advancements have sparked
industry-wide innovation across all disciplines within the medical field and technology is
at the forefront of the ongoing transformation of the health care system. The quality of
life for both patients and healthcare professionals has improved as a result of
technological advancements and new devices. Some of the advances that information
technology brought to the healthcare society are improved accessibility, decreased
human error, and the positive impact in terms of nursing shortage.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, young people aged
13-29 accounted for 39 percent of all new HIV infections in 2009. HIV is a disease that
does not discriminate. Anyone can contract this disease, which is why it is important for
students to be aware of how to protect themselves and prevent the transmission of HIV.
Since there is now no permanent treatment for HIV/AIDS, it is our job to take
care of ourselves. By getting vaccinated, one can first protect themselves from
contracting the disease. If you have had several sexual partners throughout your adult
life, it is crucial to get tested and to get your partner tested as well.

106
For me there is nothing wrong with educating people, because it would be a
great tool to use in spreading the information that a person would need to know in order
to protect themselves from hiv/aids.
Health is a fundamental human right, as stated in the Introduction, where every

people from all walks of life deserves to be cared for and receive quality care. Although
many international groups have suggested that other nations initiate and mitigate plans
to strengthen the healthcare system and make it more inclusive, the country still lacks
effort and resources. Just like Universal Health Care (UHC), which aims to offer quality
and equitable health services to all Filipinos locally and abroad, it still has gaps and
room for improvement. Many nations have attempted to establish and strengthen
Community Health Workers (CHW) programs to attain universal health care and
health-related sustainable development goals; some have failed, and some have
succeeded. This research activity has helped the researchers - the future healthcare
professionals to see the present situation of the healthcare system in a broader aspect.
An account of news articles, journals, and research says the same thing about how the
Philippines is still developing and innovating. Even international organizations have
noticed and pointed out what the Philippine government could have improved to reach
the goal of Sustainable Development Goal 3 or Good Health and Well-Being. The
lessons drawn from all of the collated news articles, journals, and research suggest
improving the impact and sustainability of similar community-based programs in other
parts of the Philippines, especially for those in low- and middle-income countries
(LMICs) or far-flung areas. Both public and private sectors have the power to change a
thing or two in the healthcare system. So as part of the community, everyone can be
advocates and initiators in collaborating with the authorities to make the Philippine
healthcare system successful in making a healthier nation.

107
In the present-day setting, the pandemic is considered a health dilemma to most.

However, this crisis can create a vast network of opportunities for entrepreneurs. The
COVID-19 pandemic has pushed people to be more creative in earning money. For
most healthcare workers, this allowed them to create businesses by utilizing new
technologies to reach out to the community's people, such as through the prevalence of
telemedicine services. Additionally, with the current economic crisis, Filipinos are
adamant about saving money, making money, and making ends meet. Health-related
entrepreneurial activities in the community make healthcare more accessible as the
services offered are tailored to their needs and capabilities.
3. Did the research activity increase your understanding of a particular issue?

Did it change your perspective in any way?

By supplying information that will enable us to analyze the issue and gauge the
viability of developing better solutions to the problems, research activity aids me in
learning more about the specific situation. It also changed perspective because the
Philippines has made significant investments and advances in health in recent years.
Rapid economic growth and strong country capacity have contributed to Filipinos living
longer and healthier. However, not all the benefits have reached the most vulnerable
groups. Deep inequities persist between regions, richand the poor, and different
population groups. Many people lack sufficient knowledge to make informed decisions
about their own health.
Research has been a particular help to students in many ways, such as obtaining
new knowledge and information that will increase the understanding with a particular
belief. It is also a way for students to acquire various ideas that eventually change the
perspective of approach in all aspects of life as a student and as an individual. With the

108
help of this activity, both as individuals and as students, we can better appreciate the
benefits of collaboration and partnership in a range of situations outside of our
immediate neighborhood. By working together and forming partnerships with various
organizations, both governmental and non-governmental, it will be possible to give
residents of the community the chance to find opportunity, earn additional income to
support their family needs and improve the well-being of individuals. However, a strong
foundation in relationship and shared goals are required for this collaboration and
partnership to be successful.
The research activity certainly increased our understanding of the subject matter.
With the advancement of information technology in the healthcare industry, medical
workers have been efficient with their jobs, even in the community, as they are able to
easily store clients’ data as well as facilitate the early detection and reporting of disease
outbreaks, which includes the tracking of responses to public health threats. Certain
advancements in the field have no choice but to rise. Even with a few cons to these
medical breakthroughs, we still believe that technology can always improve. In light of
this, being aware of certain developments in the medical field must be of utmost
importance. Certain technological changes heavily affect the efficiency of healthcare in
general as well as the quality of patient care, and as future workers in the healthcare
industry, remaining aware will help us grow with the field.
In 2021, an estimated 1.5 million people acquired HIV globally, a decrease from
the previous ten years. In countries with limited resources, the number of HIV patients
receiving treatment has substantially grown. Progress has also been made in keeping
pregnant women alive and reducing HIV perinatal virus transmission. UNAIDS
recommends that HIV services be maintained during the pandemic, as the continuous
provision of life-saving HIV services can considerably outweigh the danger of possible

109
COVID-19-related mortality. Along with treating this condition, we must also address the
stigma and discrimination surrounding HIV-positive patients that have been proven to be
a key barrier in responding to HIV/AIDS across the globe. Therefore, we must all do our
part to decrease HIV stigma by using supportive language rather than stigmatizing
when discussing HIV and by being deliberate in our word choice. Openly addressing
HIV can normalize the topic, offer opportunities to debunk misconceptions, and aid in
the education of others.
According to International Citizens Insurance (2022), the Philippines has

high-quality public health facilities and hospitals; many seek care in private settings.
Private facilities have the latest equipment and shorter wait times, and private hospitals
also often specialize in different care areas. However, if someone gets private
treatment, they may have high out-of-pocket costs. Furthermore, access to medical care
can be limited in remote locations. It may take time to receive emergency treatment, or
such care may be unavailable. In terms of healthcare challenges medical practitioners
face, lack of benefits and low wages in public facilities have long led doctors and nurses
to leave the Philippines to work overseas.
For this reason, 2019 data says that the country had approximately one doctor or
nurse per 20,000 residents, which is not considered adequate for a population’s needs.
On the other hand, female hormonal contraceptives are available in the Philippines.
Birth control options now include long-acting reversible contraceptives such as
subdermal implants and IUDs, oral contraceptive pills, and hormonal injections.
However, abortion is illegal in the country. Also, hospitals provide mental health
services, and there are also private psychiatrists and clinics to visit. Unfortunately, this
type of care is not available in rural areas. Lastly, a violent war on drugs in the
Philippines has resulted in the deaths of thousands of drug users. Furthermore, efforts
to rehabilitate addicts have been underfunded and disorganized.

110
These are just some issues regarding healthcare delivery to Filipino Families and
Communities. To answer the question, yes, this research activity is an eye-opener to
understanding more about healthcare issues in the Philippines. Gaining knowledge
about our healthcare situation changed our perspectives on care delivery in our country.
The topic has provided a new perspective seeing as entrepreneurship is

generally perceived as an effective and essential way to alleviate poverty in the
Philippines. For healthcare professionals and communities, health-related
entrepreneurial activities are crucial in building a healthy, well-rounded setting where
Filipino families can strive. These activities are considered essential tools for realizing
the potential of marginalized communities. To build up lives through economic activities,
mutual trust, resource-sharing, and an interchange of cultural values are nurtured for
this common goal.

111
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Republic of the Philippines

NUEVA ECIJA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

ISO 9001:2015 Certified

of the Requirements for the Subject

Community Health Nursing II (NCM 113)

CECILLE L. ALDAY, MAN, RN, LPT

I: PHILIPPINE HEALTH SITUATION…………………………………………………...…….8

ARTICLE: An introduction to the healthcare system in the Philippines………......9

NEWS: Beyond the pandemic: Ensuring efficient health care services………....17

JOURNAL: An Evaluation of the Philippine Healthcare System:

RESEARCH: Challenges in public health facilities and services:

II: COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIP………………………………………………27

ARTICLE: The Value of Partnerships in

NEWS: DepEd emphasizes importance of partnership on school

JOURNAL: Overview: Partnerships and Collaboration: What Skills are

RESEARCH: Collaborative marketing for the sustainable development

III: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNITY HEALTH ……………………. 40

ARTICLE: Acceptability of Information Technology Systems

Transforming Communities through Science and Technology

NEWS: PH continues leveraging ICT solutions for health……………………..… 43

JOURNAL: Use of Information and Communication Technologies

RESEARCH:Implementation of eHealth Technology in Community

IV: CURRENT TRENDS IN PUBLIC HEALTH: GLOBAL AND NATIONAL……….…..50

ARTICLE: International response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic:

NEWS: Philippines Addresses Rising Trend in New HIV Infections……………. 53

JOURNAL: Protecting Young Women from HIV/AIDS: The Case Against

RESEARCH: Trends and emerging directions in HIV risk and

prevention research in the Philippines: A systematic review of the literature…. 58

V: DELIVERY OF HEALTHCARE TO THE FILIPINO FAMILY AND COMMUNITY … 61

ARTICLE: Health Care in the Philippines:

An Overview of the Philippine Healthcare System …………………………..…… 62

(CNN Philippine life) ………………………………………………………...……….. 69

Transforming Communities through Science and Technology

Current Trends and Challenges Encountered in the Road to Achieving Universal

RESEARCH: Connecting Primary Communities to Primary Care:

A qualitative study on the roles, motivations and lived experiences of community

VI: HEALTH-RELATED ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVITY………………………….……80

ARTICLE: Health-Related Entrepreneurial Activities in the Community

NEWS: Entrepreneurs and Covid-19 Solving Problems of Today for a

JOURNAL: Health-Related Entrepreneurial Activities………………….…..…….92

RESEARCH: Entrepreneurial Activity in Community Health

Transforming Communities through Science and Technology

Philippine Health Situation

The Philippines has made significant investments and advances in health in

Collaboration and Partnership

Information Technology and Community Health

As modernization expands healthcare into the community, individuals and

Transforming Communities through Science and Technology

Current Trend in Public Health: Global and National

Delivery of Healthcare to the Filipino Family and Community

Transforming Communities through Science and Technology

Health-Related Entrepreneurial Activity

Worldwide entrepreneurial endeavors have become increasingly common as the

Transforming Communities through Science and Technology

PHILIPPINE HEALTH SITUATION

Transforming Communities through Science and Technology

An introduction to the healthcare system in the Philippines

By Future Learn | Published on 2022

An overview of the Philippines healthcare system

Philhealth, a government-owned company, oversees public healthcare in the

Transforming Communities through Science and Technology

Patients are assigned to certain providers within a network that is based on a