The Champions for Health Governance Awards is currently in the midst of visiting the Top Ten finalists for this year who have so far all gone through the first level screening. 

Among the top ten, the first few cities or municipalities visited for site evaluations are San Felipe, Zambales; Vigan City, Ilocos Sur; San Gabriel, La Union; and Kapangan, Benguet. 

During site visits, a group of capable representatives from CHG's partner organizations physically go the the municipality in order to conduct interviews, observe the services and systems present, and validate the information and details received in the respective LGU's CHG application or entry. 

For the full list of finalists, click here. 

For updates about the program, like and follow the Champions for Health Governance Awards Facebook Page. ​

CHG Site Evaluations of the top ten 2019 Finalists officially started today with the Muicipality of San Felipe, Zambales as the fist Top Ten Finalist to be visited.

During site evaluations, a team of dedicated representatives physically visit the city or municipality to conduct interviews, validate facts and details stated in CHG applications, and further deepen the Awards' comprehension and appreciation of outstanding health governance practices.

Aside from the first level screening that determined this year's CHG Finalists, the 11th of February was also another day of great relevance for the Champions for Health Governance Awards. 

On the same day, representatives from Kaya Natin Movement for Good Governance And Ethical Leadership and the Association of Municipal Health Officers of the Philippines signed a Memorandum of Agreement to make official commitments to pursuing and promoting good health governance through a partnership for the Champion for Health Governance until the year 2021. 

Congratulations to all LGUs who have made it into our list of finalists!

On it's fourth run this year, the Champions for Health Governance (CHG) Awards, in partnership with the Jesse M. Robredo Foundation and MSD Philippines, and in cooperation with the Association of Municipal Health Officers fo the Philippines (AMHOP), continues to push forward the advocacy of good health governance. 

Submissions to the CHG Awards undergo multiple screenings and evaluations in order to adequately determine the Top 10 LGUs who will make it to the awarding day scheduled in May where five of them will awarded grants of P100,00.00 each. 

Five local government units with exemplary public health programs were recognized as "Champions for Health Governance" on Wednesday.
The CHG award is given by healthcare company MSD in the Philippines, the Kaya Natin! Movement, and the Jesse M. Robredo Foundation.
This year's awardees are: Plaridel, Bulacan; Salcedo, Eastern Samar; San Felipe, Zambales; San Gabriel, La Union; and Tacurong City, Sultan Kudarat.

​At the awarding ceremony, Vice President Leni Robredo emphasized that the issue of public health is a "silent crisis that deserves more attention."
"When our barangay captains, our mayors, and our governors want to get things done, even the impossible becomes possible. And in these extraordinary times, we need heroes like our enlightened local chief executives, who are committed in getting things done, who do not mind setting politics aside, and focus on helping those who need help the most," Robredo said.
"Providing nutrition and protecting our people’s health do not call for new technology or new inventions. They only require our commitment," she added.
A total of 27 entries were approved for the first level of screening by the CHG 2017 selection committee, which included the Department of Interior and Local Government Bureau of Local Government Services Assistant Division Chief Jose Denver Calo; Kaya Natin! Movement executive director Amelia Hernandez; Physicians for Peace Program head Dr. Josephine Bundoc; and Association of Municipal Health Officers of the Philippines national president Dr. Renato Menrige Jr. — BM, GMA News

Many of the local leaders I’ve met shared that public service was not their first choice as a career.
 
One of those people is Mayor Alfred Coro of Del Carmen, Siargao. He was content with his corporate IT job and didn’t see himself working for government, until he was called to public service in 2010.
 
When he was elected mayor, one of the observations that struck him the most was the poor health condition of Del Carmen. Mayor Coro saw that health was not a priority, with the lack of funds and equipment, as well as low staff morale. This was apparent in the high incidence of malnutrition among children and the spread of infectious diseases in the community.
 
This compelled him to create the Seal of Health Governance (SOHG), a monitoring and evaluation tool to improve the overall municipal health system. Covering all 20 barangays, this tool allowed Del Carmen to create a mechanism to measure health targets, such as incidence of maternal and infant deaths, malnutrition rates, and sanitation in households, among others.
 
To make this happen, Mayor Coro created a committee composed of health workers and officers, Sangguniang Bayan representatives, and civil society organizations, which set the performance indicators. Meanwhile, another group was created which was composed of agency representatives to evaluate the implementation of programs in each barangay.
 
To encourage participation, he set corresponding incentives for any barangay that meets the performance standards. For example, a cash prize of Php20,000 (gold seal) is given to a barangay with a score of 90 to 100. Barangays with scores below 90 receive the silver seal, equivalent to Php10,000, while those scoring below 75 received the bronze seal, equivalent to Php5,000.
 
Through the SOHG, Del Carmen has come a long way in terms of advancing the health of the community. For one, it has made sure that birth deliveries are done in health facilities to ensure the safety of mothers (less mothers resorting to ‘hilot’ or home deliveries). It led to the decrease in incidences of malnutrition and the spread of diseases. Lastly, the community made it possible that all households have access to sanitary toilets which, to them did not look attainable in 2012.
 
As a result, in 2015, Del Carmen was awarded the Champions for Health Governance (CHG) Award by Kaya Natin! Movement for Ethical Leadership for Good Governance and MSD in the Philippines. The local government received Php100,000 in cash to continue funding their health programs, as well as Php500,000 worth of medicines and supplies from the Department of Health.
 
According to Mayor Coro, these achievements are all because of the people of Del Carmen working together to make a healthy, vibrant, and engaged community.
 
“Apart from the statistics and the recognition, what I can be most proud of Del Carmen is that it boosted people’s morale about the community. It also cultivated a better sense of working with government—they became partners in initiating change and creating solutions to make their lives better. For me, that in itself makes going into politics a worthwhile experience,” he shared.
 
With the CHG Awards coming up, I’m excited to hear more stories like Mayor Coro’s. For some, working in development may not be their first choice, but it eventually becomes a fulfilling one for them.
 



http://news.abs-cbn.com/blogs/opinions/02/17/17/opinion-how-one-mans-choice-affected-a-community
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