US-PH Society Meeting with BARMM on Community Health projects

COTABATO CITY—A developmental partnership to help the Bangsamoro Government in its delivery of quality health services is taking shape after the United States (US) – Philippines Society paid a courtesy visit to the Minister of Health (MOH) Dr. Rizaldy Piang on Wednesday, Feb. 1, in this city.

The meeting discussed the current health programs of the MOH and sought possible health development partnerships and collaborative projects to be implemented in the Bangsamoro region.

The delegation, headed by Mr. Earl Gast, President of the University Research Company LLC (URC), emphasized that their programs mainly focus on family planning and responsible parenthood.

“We will share best practices based on our expert experiences and we will provide technical guidance for assuring a quality improvement approach of health in the region,” Gast said.

“The beauty of collaborative efforts in the BARMM project could fill the gaps with the important participation of influencers at all levels such as religious, government, and social media influencers pushing the messages in educating young women and families as well,” Gast added.

He further stressed that in health services the Ulama and Mufti play a big role in the campaign to achieve successful programs in the region.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Piang raised three (3) essential interventions that could be the priority health programs: “Tuberculosis (TB) programming, supporting poverty improvement, and the implementation of Universal Health Care in the Bangsamoro region”.

Piang also expressed his gratitude for the visit of the US-Philippines Society with high hopes that the partnership will soon be realized for the welfare of the Bangsamoro people.

The US-Philippines Society is based in Washington DC, United States of America (USA), and builds on the rich and longstanding historical ties of the said country and the Philippines. It was founded by the late Roberto Romulo, who is currently chaired by Ambassadors and prominent Filipino businessman Manuel Pangilinan, and is composed of ambassadors and prominent business owners and philanthropists in the USA and the Philippines.

Wednesday’s visit was also accompanied by Former US Ambassador to the Philippines Thomas Hubbard, US-Philippines Society Executive Director Hank Hendrickson, US Education Finance Group President Henry Howard, US-Philippines Society President Ambassador John Maisto, Chevron Philippines Country President Billy Liu, Philippine Ecozone Authority Deputy Director General Aleem Guiapal, USAID-BARMM Health Chief of Party Dr. Moh Shan Abdulwahid, and USAID-BARMM Health Communication Adviser Tessa Reyes-Sevilla. (Kasan Usop, Jr./BIO)

Source: Bangsamoro Information Office, Cotabato City