Lal-lo town pioneers Lakbay Buhay Kalusugan in Region 2

By Benjie S. De Yro

Wednesday 11th of July 2012

LAL-LO, Cagayan, July 11 (PIA) -- This central Cagayan town played host to the first-ever Lakbay Buhay Kalusugan (LBK) in the Cagayan Valley region.

During the launching activities, Mayor Florante Pascual said his administration immediately accepted the offer of the National Center for Health Promotions “to promote family health messages’ to the residents after various sectors in and out of the province poured their resources together for the said project."

Pascual said the municipality has placed health and nutrition as one of its priority programs and projects in the last 10 years.

Dr. Ivanhoe Escartin, Director of the Department of Health (DOH)-National Center for Health Promotions, said it was this municipality that immediately responded to the invitation of the DOH among the municipalities and cities in Region 2.

Launched in March 2011, the health promotion caravan aptly called Lakbay Buhay Kalusugan uses the concept of a traveling bus as a platform for DOH and local government units to spread key messages on health-seeking behaviors and practices. This dissemination is done for the hard-to-reach poor families and communities.

It has since then served 38,404 individuals, 3,104 pregnant women and 10,440 children from 11 local government units.

In this Lal-lo travel, at least 800 families in the entire municipality has registered to receive services from the project including maternal and child health consultation clinic with prenatal, postpartum and child-care services, with integrated family planning and nutrition counseling.

The event likewise includes a guided tour of interactive health exhibits, health education classes, enter-educate activities, as well as broadcasting of videos and radio spots.

The project specifically aims to increase awareness on general health with the main message of “No One is Left Behind: We are All Drivers in this Journey to Health.”

Board Member Olivia Pascual of the 1st Congressional District of Cagayan said several individuals and the private sector have given support in cash and in kind for the delivery of services to the residents through the project.

The sponsors included the provincial government of Cagayan, Governor Alvaro Antonio, Congressman Jack Ponce Enrile and wife, the former Congresswoman Sally Enrile and the local government of Lal-lo. (BSY/PIA 2)