CLARK FIELD—The provincial government headed by Gov. Lilia Pineda and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda), represented by Director General Guiling A. Mamondiong, together with Tesda Central Luzon Director Francisco B. Jucar Jr., have signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) implementing national preventive health care piloted in Pampanga.
The signing was held in this free port and was witnessed by Lubao Mayor Mylin Pineda Cayabyab, president of Pampanga Mayors’ League, (PML).
The agreement aims to maximize the training, assessment and certification of Barangay Health Services for Capampangans to become competent barangay health assistants.
Preventive health care was first conceptualized by Pineda and was recommended by Lakas-Kampi Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of Pampanga to President Duterte for nationwide implementation.
Mamondiong said the main purpose of the preventive health care is to promote awareness and prevent possible diseases that may break out in the province.
Under the agreement, Tesda is tasked to provide free assessment for Barangay Health Services (BHS) trainees who will be trained by the provincial government.
“Tesda shall also conduct national accreditation of training providers and assess centers for Barangay Health Services on preventive health care plus the accreditation of primary and secondary hospitals as assessment venues and centers,” Mamondiong said.
With this, Tesda will also collaborate with the Department of Health to coordinate the proper training regulations and to provide and accurate and precise trainings to barangay health assistants.
Pineda said the program will advocate and promote preventive health care in conducting household health monitoring to the different barangays of the province.
Mamondiong also announced that Tesda would increase the 30,000 scholarship allocation of Central Luzon to 40,000 and from it, Pampanga will get more than 8,000 Tesda scholars.
“The most important part here is the preventive health-care program, which was adapted by President Duterte, wherein we will be training nurses about ‘caregiving’ and massage therapy. And they will become scholars of Tesda,” Pineda added.