Reaching Out, Giving Hope, Touching LivesOfficial Publication of PHAPCares Foundation, Affiliate of the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines Vol I No 3 January-December 2013

Millions of people who lived on the destructive path of super typhoon “Yolanda” are struggling to rebuild

their lives in the aftermath of the world’s fiercest tropical cy-clone at landfall. Close to 6,000 people died while about 1,800 others are still reported missing when the powerful typhoon made six vicious landfalls starting with Guian, Eastern Samar in the morning of November 7. Packed with maximum sus-tained winds of 195mph equivalent to a category 5 hurricane, the typhoon wreaked havoc in 44 provinces and 57 cities when storm surge reached five to six meters high in many coastal communities.

Through Presidential Proclamation 682, eight provinces were placed under state of calamity while Tacloban City was declared un-der state of emergency, prompting curfews and price freeze on basic commodities. Several days after Yolanda swept through the country, countless survivors are yet to recover from the trauma of having to lose loved ones, their homes and livelihood.

Each day, survivors are forced to confront loneliness, hunger, homelessness and health risks to continue living amidst the destruc-tions. Being true to its mission of “reaching out, giving hope and touching lives,” the PHAPCares Foundation launched a campaign focusing on the health of typhoon victims. The PHAPCares Foun-dation, the corporate social responsibility arm of the Pharmaceuti-cal and Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP), received P110 million worth of medicines and vaccines donations from mem-bers for use of the typhoon victims.

A bulk of the medicines and vaccines were turned over to the Regional Risk Reduction and Management Council and the Center for Health Development of the Department of Health both in Central and Eastern Visayas. PHAP members have also launched their individual campaigns to help Yolanda survivors. In a survey

by PHAP, member companies donated a separate PhP100 million worth of medicines, vaccines, cash and relief items to government partners as well as international and national humanitarian organi-zations.

Along with international humanitarian missions, the PHAP-Cares Foundation flew to the Mactan Airbase in Cebu City to over-see the medicine and vaccine donations from its member companies. The Mactan Airbase served as the staging ground for massive hu-manitarian and relief operations in Leyte and Samar as airports in Eastern Visayas provinces were severely damaged by the typhoon. Led by its managing director, Dr. Edgar L. Posadas, PHAPCares air-lifted about 2.4 tons of medicines to Tacloban City via the Republic of Korea Air Force C-130 Hercules. Due to the bulk of relief items being processed at the Mactan Airbase, PHAPCares relied on its partners to help them immediately transport needed medicines and supplies to the city leveled off by the typhoon. From Tacloban City, the PHAPCares contingent headed south to Palo in Leyte, a third-class municipality that reported at least 130 deaths due to “Yolan-da”. Also as devastated were Tolosa, a fifth class municipality, and Tanauan, which is a coastal municipality, leveled to the ground by the typhoon.

As the number of tetanus cases continues to rise, thousands of anti-tetanus vaccines were also transported to the disaster areas. Through the PHAPCares Foundation, thousands of needed anti-tet-anus vaccines were donated to disaster areas. The Foundation’s role was crucial in the proper handling of vaccines from Manila to areas that were left without electricity. The donated vaccines required cold chain management to protect vaccine integrity. The tetanus vaccines were handed over to the Eastern Visayas Region Medical Center and the Dona Remedios Trinidad Romualdez Medical Foundation.

Members donate record P110 M worth of medicines, vaccines for Yolanda

A time to rise, recover and hope

Continued on page 3

2 OCD-DRRMC Partnerships

The Typhoon Yolanda Aftermath and Our Humanitarian Missions

PHAPCares Foundation donated P4.9 million worth of medicines for the typhoon Yolanda victims in Northern Iloilo towns. The group also turned over 210 packs of relief goods.

Turn over of medicines with Governor Joven Miraflores with the municipal mayors of areas hardest hit by Yolanda in the province of Aklan.

PHAPCares during our call on Mayor Rene Cordero at the heavily damaged municipal building in the town of Estancia in Northern Iloilo with Dir. Rose Cabrera, RD, OCD-RDRRMC6 and Dr. Maricor Quinon, representative of Ilolilo, Provincial Health Office.

PHAPCares and partners visit the Tent City in the Municipality of Estancia established as relocation site for the victims of an oil spill from a power barge as a consequence of Yolanda.

PHAPCares at the “No Mask, No Entry” area as strictly implemented by the PNP in what used to be a habitated community before the oil spill. The Municipality of Estancia is one of the hardest hit communities by the “double” disaster caused by Yolanda when it made landfall in the nearby Municipality of Concepcion.

Camp watering hole made by the Canadian Armed Forces so that the victims and their families could have clean potable water in their temporary shelters.

NORTHERN ILOILO

WESTERN VISAYAS

3OCD-DRRMC Partnerships

Thousands of anti-tetanus vaccines as well as anti-flu medications have been donated by members and dis-patched to priority disaster areas. Beyond medicines and vaccines, the Foundation also brought with them relief items from members and the PHAP/ PHAPCares Secre-tariat. The PHAP/ PHAPCares Secretariat canceled their yearned gathering for their own relief efforts. Member companies have also launched internal fund-raising cam-paigns. Some members raised funds by salary deduction or colleague matching fund.

After Leyte, the Foundation prepared to travel to Coron, Palawan to turnover needed medicines to the is-land province that was also pummeled by Yolanda before heading Vietnam. Beyond Eastern Visayas, the Founda-tion also visited Western Visayas provinces that were also affected by the typhoon. PHAPCares traveled to Iloilo, Aklan, Capiz and Antique together with the Regional Risk Reduction and Management Council 8. PHAPCares and the RDRRMC 8 are partners in a disaster preparedness campaign dubbed as Pakikibuylog sa Pagpangaman that seeks to make Western Visayas a more disaster resilient region.

In the weeks to come, it is also expected to head to Central Visayas that experienced the wrath of “Yolanda” when it made two landfalls in the region. International hu-manitarian teams are expected to leave the disaster areas in the coming days. Survivors are anxious about the huge vacuum that will be created the pullout of the internation-al community. With the continued commitment and sup-port of PHAP and its members, Yolanda survivors would have more reason to rise, recover and hope.

from page 1

The Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Associa-tion of the Philippines (PHAP), through the

PHAPCares Foundation, initiated a three-day human-itarian mission in the province of Bohol following a powerful 7.2 magnitude earthquake in Central Visayas.

During the mission in October, about P4 million worth of relief items and quality essential medicines were provided to the victims of the destructive earth-quake. Another batch of medicines was turned over to the Province of Bohol and the Office of Civil De-fense-Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Manage-ment Council in Cebu City.

The said humanitarian mission was conducted in coordination and partnership with the OCD-RDRRMC 7 in Central Visayas headed by Director Minda Mo-rante, the Department of Health- Health Emergency Management Staff (DOH-HEMS) 7, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) 7, the Bohol Provincial Health Office (PHO) and Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO).

Turn overThe PHAPCares Team personally turned over the donation of medicines

appropriate for the initial phases of post-disaster response at the Operations Center of OCD-NDRRMC7 located at the Governor’s Mansion in Bohol. The donation was documented by the PSWDO under PSWD Officer Carmen Tecson situated at the Tagbilaran City Sports Complex. Meanwhile, donations for Cebu were also coursed through OCD-RDRRMC7 in Central Visayas.

At the PHO Earthquake Operations Center, Dr. Greg Sudusta of the Bohol PHO HEMS, welcomed the team and gave a comprehensive briefing on the current health status and needs of the victims of the earthquake. The concerns of the PHO included water, sanitation, hygiene, medicines, portable toilets and post-disaster stress debriefing for the victims, among others.

The PHAPCares Team also visited nearby but equally affected areas such as Baclayon, Dauis, Loboc and Maribojoc.

AftermathOn October 15, 2013, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake rocked Central Visayas,

particularly Bohol and Cebu, and claimed the lives of at least 190 people and injured more than 600 others.

The earthquake affected more than 500,000 families in Central Visayas, more than 73,000 of which were displaced. Structural damages in Bohol and Cebu amounted to close to P900 million.

The worst hit municipalities were the ones located at the northwestern side of the province facing Cebu, with the Municipality of Loon being among the worst hit.

The epicenter of the quake was at Barangay Anonang in the Municipality of Inabanga where locals and experts discovered a wall-like structure more than three meters high and about a kilometer in length. The earthquake was also believed to have sunk three small islands in the northwestern side of the province.

The PHAPCares Team in Bohol and Cebu experienced strong after-shocks during the mission. As of October 22, 2013, PHIVOLCS has recorded 2,384 aftershocks, 57 of which were felt.

Extending Humanitarian Aid to Quake-Ravaged Bohol, Cebu

4 OCD-DRRMC Partnerships

In response to the recent calamities brought about by the 7.2-magnitude Bohol Earthquake and Typhoon Yolanda, the

service arm of the Mu Sigma Phi Fraternity - Mu Relief - was again mobilized to attend to the needs of our affected countrymen. Fol-lowing the usual practice of Mu Relief, donations including food, water, clothing and other basic necessities were rapidly distributed to the affected areas. Aside from these, the Fraternity was also able to provide drugs, in partnership with Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines, and vaccines, particularly tetanus tox-oid vaccines, to the different communities in Visayas.

Project H2OHowever, the devastation caused by these recent occurrences

were so severe that even the facilities that usually provide imme-diate but temporary help were destroyed. Included in these are the infrastructures responsible for providing sanitary drinking water. To address this lack of water supply, another innovative project was started by the Fraternity, under the guidance of Brod Pipo Bundoc ‘86, entitled Project H2O: Help to Others.

Under this program, the Fraternity, in partnership with Sawyer Products Inc. and Manly Plastics, was able to provide water filtration units to the severely affected areas. Through the help and donations from generous people, a great number of filtration units were assem-bled and delivered through the Mu Sigma Phi brothers and sisters near the affected areas. Other organizations such as UP Pahinungod, Rotary Club of Makati - Business District, and Nickel Asia also ex-tended their assistance in shipping and distributing the said filtration units.

Instead of relying on such limited supply of bottled water, peo-ple gained access to a sustainable source of clean, potable water. With proper distribution and implementation, these units offered a direly needed solution to the growing incidence of water-borne dis-eases in devastated communities like Tacloban City, Leyte.

Since the advent of this project, the Fraternity has already been able to assemble and distribute over 350 units of H2O filtration sys-tem to the different parts of the Visayas region. With the help of various donors, organizations and even media personality, the reach

Mu Relief: Bohol Quake and Typhoon Yolanda by Aldric Cristobal Reyes

of this project has exceeded expectations. Currently, 600 units of Sawyer Filtration System are still in the possession of the Fraternity and are waiting to be distributed to the other affected regions of the country.

Medical MissionIn response to the rapidly deteriorating health status in the af-

fected communities, various medical and surgical missions were or-ganized within days from the tragedy. Putting their own safety aside, the brothers of the Mu Sigma Phi braved the chaos to be able to de-liver much needed medical assistance. In coordination with various government and non-government institutions, they created teams of medical doctors and health professionals which were sent to differ-ent sites in order to accurately assess and manage the health situation in provinces such as Tacloban, Samar and Capiz.

Gawad-KalingaAs most of the infrastructures in the affected provinces, par-

ticularly in Leyte, were destroyed by Typhoon Yolanda, the Ga-wad-Kalinga Foundation has proposed a plan to rehabilitate the communities by building up to 20,000 houses for the affected fam-ilies. The Mu Sigma Phi Fraternity, being long time partners with Gawad-Kalinga, has volunteered to actively participate in the health rehabilitation part the GK program.

Continuing EffortsArguably the most severe devastation the country has experi-

enced in the past few decades, the result of these two calamities has pushed the Service arm of the Fraternity to another level. De-spite the overwhelming efforts of different local and internation-al organizations, the rehabilitation and rebuilding of communities like Tacloban is still far from over. As such, the Mu Relief is on a continuous effort, day in and day out, to extend help, in whatever form possible. With this in mind, the Fraternity is also on a constant ordeal, exhausting whatever resource available, in order to ease the suffering of our fellow Filipinos.

All for the Glory!

Continued on page 19

Iloilo City, 25 July - More communities in isolated and disaster prone provinces in Western Visayas will soon benefit from an

expanded public-private partnership that aims to better prepare the people in the region in times of calamities.

The Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philip-pines (PHAP), through its corporate social responsibility arm, the PHAPCares Foundation, is once again partnering with the Office of Civil Defense-Regional Risk Reduction and Management Council in Western Visayas for the Phase II of “Pagpakigbuylog sa Pagpanga-man” Project that focuses on preparing people’s health in the event of disasters.

OCD-RDRRMC and PHAPCares Foundation step up disaster risk reduction drive in Western Visayas

PHAPCares and OCD-RDRRMC VI earlier launched phase one of its partnership called “Pagpakigbuylog sa Pagpangaman” to develop the capacities of the local government, specifically the local disaster risk reduction and management council (LDRRMC) on participatory risk assessment, contingency planning on disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation.

“Natural disasters impact human development. Apart from losses in lives, properties and important infrastructure, calamities also take a toll on people’s health,” said PHAPCares Foundation CEO Teodoro B. Padilla.

5OCD-DRRMC Partnerships

The armed conflict between government troops and Moro National Liberation Front made Zamboanga City inacces-

sible to the outside world but the PHAP, through the PHAPCares Foundation, found a way to extend their help during a three-day hu-manitarian mission on September 18 to 20.

The risky mission was made possible through close coordina-tion with the Office of Civil Defense-National Disaster Risk Reduc-tion and Management Council (OCD-NDRRMC) as well as the re-gional and provincial disaster risk reduction and management offices in Zamboanga City and Zamboanga Del Norte.

With their help, the PHAPCares Foundation found its way to the war-torn city using the Dipolog City route.

The Zamboanga City International Airport was closed for com-mercial flights to help ensure the safety of the public. Entering the city via the Port of Zamboanga was also restricted due to the tight military cordon to prevent any possible spillover of violence to near-by provinces.

Government partners at the OCD-RDRRMC IX and the PDRRMO of Zamboanga del Norte facilitated a safe but long land travel to the beleaguered southern city at the height of the securi-ty crisis.During the nine-hour travel to Zamboanga City, the Foun-dation passed through several military and police checkpoints in Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga Sibugay. Prior to the team’s arrival in Zamboanga City at midnight, PHAP member-partner Zue-llig Pharma Corporation paved the way for the initial donation of medicines via Dipolog City.

ChallengesNot only was the path to the Zamboanga City challenging, even

finding a safe place to stay proved to be a difficult task. The OCD-RDRRMC IX and the Task Force Zamboanga assisted the PHAP-Cares Team in finding a secured area for the team during the mission. The first day of the humanitarian mission began at the Zamboanga City Health Department Office where the City Health Officer, Dr. Rodel Agbulos, provided a health assessment of the thousands of people in evacuation centers. Forced evacuations were enforced in Sta. Catalina, Sta. Barbara, Rio-Hondo, Mampang, Talon Talon and Mariki. There were 32 evacuation with more than 100,000 evacuees

A helping hand to the sieged city of Zamboanga

in the siege that left more than 200 people dead 250 others wound-ed. No less than President Aquino and his national security Cabinet cluster managed the crisis situation from Zamboanga City.

Through generous donations, PHAP members have responded to the medicine requirements of the evacuees. However, more work is to be done as there are still other pressing health, sanitation and hygiene issues that need to be addressed.

While in Zamboanga City, the Foundation visited the biggest evacuation center in the city, the Joaquin Enriquez Memorial Sports Complex. The 57,500 square meters sports complex which was used in the 1992 Palarong Pambansa (National Games) became the tem-porary homes of thousands of internally displaced persons.

During the mission, the coastal barangays nearby were still ex-periencing intermittent gunfires and ongoing fires. Since the Zam-boanga City Medical Center (ZCMC) was located right in the middle of the fight, the hospital’s patients were moved to Western Min-danao State University (WMSU) Gym and the Central Mindanao Sanitarium.

Together with the OCD9 team, PHAPCares team checked on the patients at the WMSU Gym.

The ZCMC’s Chief, Dr. Romeo Ong, and DOH-HEMS Hospi-tal Coordinator, Dr. Puch Gimena, extended their heartfelt gratitude for the much-needed and valued medicine donations from PHAP members. Moreover, the existing cooperation, though not yet of-ficial, between PHAPCares and ZCMC enabled the patients in the UHC communities in the region and in nearby island provinces to receive assistance and medical treatment from the hospital.

Zamboanga City Mayor Isabelle “Beng” Climaco-Salazar ex-pressed her gratitude for the valuable donations and medicines from PHAPCares Foundation members, which were handed over to Dr. Agbulos.

Donations of relief items from the members along with a batch of specialized medicines are on standby for the people of Zamboan-ga, however, PHAPCares is still accepting any kind of donation, in cash or in kind. More challenges such as food and nutrition, the pres-ence of children in the evacuation centers, prevention of the spread of infections, have turned this humanitarian mission into one of the most difficult and overwhelming challenges ever.

6 OCD-DRRMC Partnerships

As the PHAPCares Foundation reaches out to far-flung and remote communities around the country, a partnership

was forged to help boost disaster resilience of Metro Manila.Home to PHAP and majority of its member companies, Metro

Manila is also the center of governance, commerce, communication and transportation.

In a study by reinsurer Swiss Re released in September this year, it named Tokyo-Yokohama region as the riskiest area among the 600 cities around the world. Manila and the Pearl River Delta in China came in second and third among nations that are most vulnerable to earthquake, storm, storm surge, tsunami and river flooding.

In response to the need to better prepare the region with 17 cit-ies, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and the PHAPCares Foundation sealed a Memorandum of Agreement that will augment the agency’s campaign to prioritize the health of Metro Manila residents in times of disasters and emergencies.

MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino and PHAPCares Founda-tion President Thomas Weigold signed an agreement that will pave the way for a public-private partnership in health through the dona-tion of P3 million worth of life-saving medicines for use of victims and responders during calamities.

The medicine donations will also help agency front liners as they go about their rescue missions in other parts of the country in times of emergency.

For instance, the MMDA has responded to the call for rescue missions in flood-hit Zambales particularly in barangay Wawandue in Subic. At least 30 people were reported killed in separate landslides in Zambales due to heavy monsoon rains in September. In October, MMDA teams were also dispatched to help in the rescue and relief operations in Jaen, Nueva Ecija following typhoon “Santi”.

Meanwhile, a 42-man contingent was deployed to help in the search and rescue of people who may have been trapped under col-lapsed structures in Bohol which was struck by a powerful 7.2 mag-nitude earthquake also in October.

Rapid deployment search teams were also sent by the agency to Tacloban City, Ormoc City and Borongan in Eastern Samar after super typhoon Yolanda made several landfalls and killed more than 5,000 people.

Boosting the capacity of MMDA to care for Metro Manila

In all these, the health of emergency responders must be strengthened to help them go about their difficult task of helping others in times of calamities.

The PHAPCares-MMDA AgreementThe three-year medicine donation program seeks to augment

government resources as well as support the MMDA in its task of implementing policies and programs that would help ensure the re-siliency of Metro Manila residents from natural disasters and other emergencies.

The agreement is envisioned to assist the MMDA to immediate-ly and aptly respond to the medical needs of disaster victims as well as agency front liners, service providers and responders.

The MMDA-PHAPCares Foundation partnership recognizes that disasters pose an enormous threat to the lives and health of the 12 million people living in Metro Manila and other densely populated cities.

“This public-private partnership is part of our disaster risk reduction efforts to mitigate the impact of climate change on the health of the people. We at PHAPCares, also join the MMDA in car-ing for the agency’s responders who often risk their lives for others,” Mr. Weigold said.

7OCD-DRRMC Partnerships

With the widespread devastation caused by typhoon “Pablo” in many parts of Mindanao and the Visayas

on December 4, 2012, PHAPCares carried out its humanitarian mission to the victims well into January 2013. The Foundation was one of the first organizations to assist the OCD-NDRRMC and its agency partners in disaster response. An initial donation amounting to Php4.7 was immediately flown to the disaster-stricken areas of Davao provinces and Surigao del Sur. In total, the Foundation donated 20M worth of medicines and other items to Pablo victims.

On its first visit, Foundation representatives led by Managing Director Dr. Edgar Posadas traveled with representatives of partner agencies to Davao City and Laak, Compostela Valley to view firsthand the extent of the damage and see what else could be done for the displaced families. The Office of Civil Defense-RDRRMC11, DOHCHD11, operating units of the AFP Eastern Mindanao Command (EASTMINCOM) and AFPRESCOM provided the needed security escort to PHAPCares and staff of radio station DWDD’s social action program, “Serbisyong Bayani”. Regional Director Liza Mazo and Department of Health authorities were on hand at the staging area to receive the donations.

Laak in Compostela Valley bore the brunt of the storm when “Pablo” lingered for three straight hours over the municipality, nearly wiping out all structures in three isolated barangays, killing 11 resi-dents, and injuring many others. It also destroyed the central school covered court. Rough access roads leading to the municipality were further damaged, while security issues arose to hamper the conduct of relief and humanitarian activities.

On its second return visit to Mindanao, the Foundation staff, accompanied by member company AztraZeneca Pharma and its re-gional representatives visited the municipalities of Monkayo, Com-postela Valley and Cateel, Davao Oriental from February 4 to 7, 2013 to extend critically-needed humanitarian assistance to the affected communities. The PHAPCares-AZ mission joined members of a post disaster needs assessment team composed of national and re-gional members of the DRRMCs. They were received by Officer in Charge-OCD11 Susan Madrid and her technical staff at the region-al office where the Foundation turned over its donation of quali-ty medicines and boxes of relief items from employees and staff

of PHAPCares members. The team was shown the extent of the damage, the public-private partnerships that were formed, and the progress of rebuilding and recovery efforts with the view of finding other areas of assistance.

The first stop was the Incident Command Post of Monkayo where the mission was briefed on the post-disaster health profile of the people and informed about the need for Anti-Tetanus Ig vaccine for wounded victims. Monkayo Mayor Manuel Brillantes, Jr. showed how the response and rebuilding mechanisms were in-stalled to normalize the delivery of basic services, notably health and shelter. Monkayo was battered by “Pablo” for two hours during its passage, destroying 85% of the homes and properties of its 96,000 population.

The next stop was Cateel, Davao Oriental, a third-class munic-ipality directly facing the Pacific Ocean that renders 16 barangays open to landfalls. The coconut plantations on which around 85% of the people traditionally thrive were almost completely destroyed. The mission turned over its donations to Cateel Mayor Camilo Nun-ez at the roofless RHU. Although initial rebuilding was started by agencies such as the United Nations, work was impeded by scant resources and the untenable peace and order situation.

The PHAPCares-AZ tandem returned to Monkayo and Cateel on a third sortie to deliver Php1.1M worth of GI sheets needed by the people, as borne out by the post assessment of the OCD-NDRRMC. Th is time around the Foundation moved out of the box to address a need beyond health services. This is the outcome of its desire to adapt to the changing needs of the communities that renders its presence and assistance more relevant and meaningful.

On this third visit, the team visited Barangay Poblacion in Monkayo where damages to bridges and homes long after “Pablo” struck in December 2012 were further aggravated by rising creek levels. Also visited was the site of the permanent relocation site for families from low lying barangays. The team proceeded to Cateel and the EASTMINCOM Hospital where an additional batch of medi-cines.

In total, the Foundation donated to Php20M worth of med-icines and other valuable relief items to the victims of the storm tragedy in Mindanao. To the members of the Foundation, personal visits were unique ways of serving with its own human touch.

Serving the Victims of Pablo with a Human Touch

8 Membership CSR InitiativesMembership CSR Initiatives4 5Membership CSR Initiatives

Every year, Astellas Pharma Philippines Inc. holds a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activity with various NGOs in the

country. Th is CSR undertaking is called Changing Tomorrow (CT) – a global volunteer initiative that encourages and motivates Astellas employees to reach out to their local communities. Astellas affi liates around the world participate in social action programs related to health or the environment within the affi liate’s home country.

During its fi rst launch in the Philippines, APH held its fi rst CT Day activity in October 2010 at the Eco-Park, La Mesa Dam, Marikina City. Th is was in line with the global CT day theme to contribute changes to the environment.

APH management and employees joined hands in a tree planting activity in an eff ort to “green” the city environment and help to reforest the watershed that will help in preventing the incidence of fl ooding in the city. Additionally, the APH management donated cash to boost other reforestation programs of the La Mesa Eco-Park.

In October 2011, APH marked CT Day at the Elsie Gatches Village (EGV) in Muntinlupa City. Th e EGV is the only government center that provides care and rehabilitation to abandoned and neglected children with special needs such as those who suff er from mental retardation, autism, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, visual and hearing impairment, and other related illnesses. Management and staff spent a half-day of fun-fi lled activity with the special children.

A post-activity survey revealed that many employees expressed their appreciation for the CT Day as it brought them closely in touch with the children who needed attention, understanding and care. Th e activity was an eye-opener for many employees who seemed to have forgetten how blessed they were for having a career, a family, or for just being able to do things by themselves.

In 2012, the APH CSR theme was Th e Elderly Citizens in Aging Society. Th us, APH held its CSR activity at the Hospicio de San Jose, off Ayala Bridge in Manila. Th e Hospicio is a charitable institution that accepts the poorest of the poor and families in crisis, counting infants, children, adults, and the elderly. Th e Hospicio provides them with shelter, food, clothes, education and health care. Th e institution also restores them to their own families whenever possible, and when not possible, harbors them for life and even buries them upon demise.

Although APH’s involvement was only a half day, employees made the most of their time by listening to stories of the elderly, and by dancing, singing, and lunching with them. APH also provided free haircut services for some of the elderly with the help of students from the Ricky Reyes School Foundation.

As simple as it was, everyone felt the happiness that shone in the eyes of those they had touched. If for only a fl eeting moment, the residents of the Hospicio had once more felt the warmth of a family.

Astellas Pharma Philippines’ Yearly CSR Program: Changing Tomorrows

A staff shares light moments with an EGV elderly. Free haircuts from APH and Ricky Reyes Foundation.

Special kids enjoy their treats from Astellas Pharma employees.

A youngster joyfully hugs the Jollibee mascot.

Tree planting activities at the La Mesa Eco-Park

MSD for Mothers: A Commitment to a World Where No Mother Should Die

Giving Life

Mothers join HL4M’s Sayuntis - a belly-dancing activity for pregnant women BHWs assisting mothers at the Buntis Tipanan

Every mother’s death is a human tragedy – and the ripple eff ects on her family are enormous: her baby is more likely

to die before the age of two and her other children are 10 times more likely to leave school, suff er from poor health, and die prematurely.

True to its mission of saving and improving lives, global pharmaceutical company Merck, Sharpe & Dohme (MSD ) has heeded the call to address the increasing rate of maternal mortality globally through the MSD for Mothers Global Giving Program.

Launched in September 2011 at the United Nations in New York, the aim of this very signifi cant initiative is to help create a world where no woman has to die from pregnancy and childbirth, and to help reduce the burden of maternal mortality globally. It is a long-term commitment in which MSD will apply its scientifi c and business expertise, human, and fi nancial resources in delivering life-saving solutions to women.

Commitment to Maternal Healthcare for Filipino Women“MSD in the Philippines is committed to helping address

maternal mortality” according to Dr. Beaver Tamesis, MSD President and Managing Director. “Th rough MSD for Mothers and Health Leaders for Mothers, MSD reinforces its pledge to help the world be well by helping the Philippines meet its Millennium Development Goal (MDG) in maternal and child health.”

MSD for Mothers in Samar

In the Philippines, 11 mothers die of pregnancy and pregnancy-related causes daily. As a response to this alarming statistic, MSD has joined hands with the Zuellig Family Foundation to reduce maternal deaths in the country through the MSD for Mothers and ZFF Community Health Partnership: Th e Joint Development Initiative.

Th e initiative will implement the Health Change Model, a systematic and systemic approach to enhance health leadership and governance, in 21 geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs) or municipalities in Samar.

Being the fi rst initiative in Asia of the MSD for Mothers Global Giving Program, MSD and ZFF entered into a three-year joint development initiative to help Samar.

“Th e Health Change Model begins with training the local government executives and health offi cers, empowering them to reform and strengthen local health systems and to build the capacity of Barangay Health Workers (BHWs) and midwives to ensure the quality and delivery of antenatal and obstetric care services. Th e empowerment of the LGU and its people is a key to the sustainability of the program even after the three years we are there,” explained Prof. Ernie Garilao, President of ZFF.

9Membership CSR InitiativesMembership CSR Initiatives4 5Membership CSR Initiatives

Every year, Astellas Pharma Philippines Inc. holds a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activity with various NGOs in the

country. Th is CSR undertaking is called Changing Tomorrow (CT) – a global volunteer initiative that encourages and motivates Astellas employees to reach out to their local communities. Astellas affi liates around the world participate in social action programs related to health or the environment within the affi liate’s home country.

During its fi rst launch in the Philippines, APH held its fi rst CT Day activity in October 2010 at the Eco-Park, La Mesa Dam, Marikina City. Th is was in line with the global CT day theme to contribute changes to the environment.

APH management and employees joined hands in a tree planting activity in an eff ort to “green” the city environment and help to reforest the watershed that will help in preventing the incidence of fl ooding in the city. Additionally, the APH management donated cash to boost other reforestation programs of the La Mesa Eco-Park.

In October 2011, APH marked CT Day at the Elsie Gatches Village (EGV) in Muntinlupa City. Th e EGV is the only government center that provides care and rehabilitation to abandoned and neglected children with special needs such as those who suff er from mental retardation, autism, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, visual and hearing impairment, and other related illnesses. Management and staff spent a half-day of fun-fi lled activity with the special children.

A post-activity survey revealed that many employees expressed their appreciation for the CT Day as it brought them closely in touch with the children who needed attention, understanding and care. Th e activity was an eye-opener for many employees who seemed to have forgetten how blessed they were for having a career, a family, or for just being able to do things by themselves.

In 2012, the APH CSR theme was Th e Elderly Citizens in Aging Society. Th us, APH held its CSR activity at the Hospicio de San Jose, off Ayala Bridge in Manila. Th e Hospicio is a charitable institution that accepts the poorest of the poor and families in crisis, counting infants, children, adults, and the elderly. Th e Hospicio provides them with shelter, food, clothes, education and health care. Th e institution also restores them to their own families whenever possible, and when not possible, harbors them for life and even buries them upon demise.

Although APH’s involvement was only a half day, employees made the most of their time by listening to stories of the elderly, and by dancing, singing, and lunching with them. APH also provided free haircut services for some of the elderly with the help of students from the Ricky Reyes School Foundation.

As simple as it was, everyone felt the happiness that shone in the eyes of those they had touched. If for only a fl eeting moment, the residents of the Hospicio had once more felt the warmth of a family.

Astellas Pharma Philippines’ Yearly CSR Program: Changing Tomorrows

A staff shares light moments with an EGV elderly. Free haircuts from APH and Ricky Reyes Foundation.

Special kids enjoy their treats from Astellas Pharma employees.

A youngster joyfully hugs the Jollibee mascot.

Tree planting activities at the La Mesa Eco-Park

MSD for Mothers: A Commitment to a World Where No Mother Should Die

Giving Life

Mothers join HL4M’s Sayuntis - a belly-dancing activity for pregnant women BHWs assisting mothers at the Buntis Tipanan

Every mother’s death is a human tragedy – and the ripple eff ects on her family are enormous: her baby is more likely

to die before the age of two and her other children are 10 times more likely to leave school, suff er from poor health, and die prematurely.

True to its mission of saving and improving lives, global pharmaceutical company Merck, Sharpe & Dohme (MSD ) has heeded the call to address the increasing rate of maternal mortality globally through the MSD for Mothers Global Giving Program.

Launched in September 2011 at the United Nations in New York, the aim of this very signifi cant initiative is to help create a world where no woman has to die from pregnancy and childbirth, and to help reduce the burden of maternal mortality globally. It is a long-term commitment in which MSD will apply its scientifi c and business expertise, human, and fi nancial resources in delivering life-saving solutions to women.

Commitment to Maternal Healthcare for Filipino Women“MSD in the Philippines is committed to helping address

maternal mortality” according to Dr. Beaver Tamesis, MSD President and Managing Director. “Th rough MSD for Mothers and Health Leaders for Mothers, MSD reinforces its pledge to help the world be well by helping the Philippines meet its Millennium Development Goal (MDG) in maternal and child health.”

MSD for Mothers in Samar

In the Philippines, 11 mothers die of pregnancy and pregnancy-related causes daily. As a response to this alarming statistic, MSD has joined hands with the Zuellig Family Foundation to reduce maternal deaths in the country through the MSD for Mothers and ZFF Community Health Partnership: Th e Joint Development Initiative.

Th e initiative will implement the Health Change Model, a systematic and systemic approach to enhance health leadership and governance, in 21 geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs) or municipalities in Samar.

Being the fi rst initiative in Asia of the MSD for Mothers Global Giving Program, MSD and ZFF entered into a three-year joint development initiative to help Samar.

“Th e Health Change Model begins with training the local government executives and health offi cers, empowering them to reform and strengthen local health systems and to build the capacity of Barangay Health Workers (BHWs) and midwives to ensure the quality and delivery of antenatal and obstetric care services. Th e empowerment of the LGU and its people is a key to the sustainability of the program even after the three years we are there,” explained Prof. Ernie Garilao, President of ZFF.

10 Membership CSR Initiatives6 7Membership CSR Initiatives

Sanofi Espoir Foundation in Paris, France recently announced a new

grant of up to 200,000 Euros to the Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC) for child cancer patients. Th is program is under the leadership of Dr. Julius A. Lecciones, Project Coordinator of the My Child Matters (MCM) program in the Philippines. Th e grant will contribute to the Center’s public mobilization campaign that aims to improve the access of childhood cancer patients to adequate medical care.

Th e Philippine version of My Child Matters: Th e Global Improvement of Childhood Cancer Care aims to galvanize the support of the public for a national comprehensive childhood cancer control and management plan. It will help build the capacity of collaborating hospitals to treat pediatric cancer patients and organize multidisciplinary treatment teams. Moreover, it will develop standards for pediatric cancer treatment facilities and management protocols.

Improving pediatric cancer management

Initially implemented in 2006, MCM has provided an extremely important framework for raising awareness of the curability of childhood cancer and for building the capacity of low income households for early diagnosis, treatment and care.

Since then, MCM has improved the management of childhood cancer in the country. Late diagnosis of cancer was reduced from 70 percent to 30 percent, treatment abandonment is now at 10 percent from 80 percent, and survival rates have increased from 16 percent to 68 percent.

To celebrate these achievements, cancer survivors who benefi ted from the MCM program, along with other patients from the PCMC cancer survivor group, were treated to a tour of the Avilon Zoo. Th e children, together with some employee volunteers from the SANOFI Blue Hands Volunteer Group, were able to see more than 3,000 species of animals housed at Avilon, currently the largest zoological institution in the Philippines.

“Th rough this simple activity, we want to celebrate the triumph of pediatric cancer patients over their disease,” said Atty. Darwin Mariano, Director of Public Aff airs and Communications of SANOFI. “We salute their courage and at the same time, we want to send the message to other cancer patients that there is hope. Th at they, too, can be well and live a normal life.”

SANOFI Espoir and PCMC Fight Childhood Cancer in the Philippines

Cancer survivors from the Philippine Children’s Medical Center toured the Avilon Zoo together with Blue Hands employee volunteers from SANOFI. Th e cancer survivors were benefi ciaries of the My Child Matters, an initiative to improve childhood cancer control and management.

Although there is an improvement in the management of pediatric cancer in the country, Dr. Lecciones said there is still much to be done. “What we have achieved this far is reducing late diagnosis of cancer in children. Our gains in reducing abandonment of treatment and increasing survival rates are still fragile and will be lost if we do not involve all sectors of society to put childhood cancer at the forefront of the national health agenda”, said Dr. Lecciones.

Moving Forward

“We can do so only if we successfully engage the government as an active partner. Today, we are in that direction already. Th e DOH National Center for Pharmaceutical Access and Management (NCPAM), through its ALL Medicines Access Program (ALLMAP), has been providing free chemotherapy drugs to poor patients in government hospitals since 2010. Last year, the Philhealth Z-package for acute lymphocytic leukemia expanded the benefi t package of reimbursable expenses”.

Th e PCMC is the reference hospital for childhood cancer for both the DOH NCPAM’s ALLMAP, and the Philhealth’s Z-package. PCMC assists 24 collaborating government hospitals in training and building their capacities for accurate diagnosis and the eff ective treatment of the dreaded disease.

With greater access to medicines and pediatric cancer specialists in many locations in the country, the geographic and economic inequity experienced by poorer patients will be eliminated in the shortest possible time. Early achievements in improving access to care for patients will be leveraged to continue changing the country’s health policies in support of further investment in childhood cancer control and management.

Mercury DrugGives back through

Operation Bigay Lunas

Mercury Drug reached out to thousands of Filipinos through Operation Bigay Lunas (OBL) in not just one site, but in 60 cities and municipalities

nationwide, as it celebrated its 68th anniversary last March 1, 2013. Running for 15 years, OBL is a lead outreach program of the company through

its corporate social responsibility arm, Mercury Drug Foundation, Inc. (MDFI). OBL is a tradition of service that reaffi rms Mercury Drug’s commitment to bring health care closer and more accessible to the people.

Th ousands of volunteers teamed up with MDFI for this year’s OBL. More than 1,200 doctors from both local government units and the private sector provided free medical services, with assistance from hundreds of nurse and midwife volunteers.

Nearly 1,000 pharmacy students from Centro Escolar University (Manila, Makati and Malolos), University of Santo Tomas, Our Lady of Fatima University (Valenzuela and Antipolo), University of Perpetual Help System-Dalta (Las Piñas and Biñan), and Virgen Milagrosa University Foundation (Pangasinan) came to help in the patient registration and documentation.

Mercury Drug employees and LGU offi cials worked together to ensure the smooth fl ow of the medical mission. Mercury Drug’s business partners (AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Cathay Drug, GlaxoSmithKline, GX International, InnoGen, Natrapharm, Nestle, Pfi zer, Pharex, Sandoz and Unilab) also provided full support with volunteers, medicines and health information materials.

Free vitamins and medicines for common ailments were distributed to all patients. Even patients with chronic diseases also got free medicines. Th ose who were diagnosed with bacterial infections were given their full medicine regimen to ensure complete treatment. Educational leafl ets were also distributed and healthy eating fi lm clips from FNRI were shown in selected sites.

All the data gathered during the OBL were promptly analysed on-site and actionable health cases were provided to the LGUs to support the government’s healthcare program. Unused medicines were also turned over to the LGUs for their health programs. With more than 138,000 benefi ciaries in 60 sites, MDFI’s 15th OBL was another success. As MDFI’s President Vivian Que-Azcona expressed, “It was a happy day to celebrate our anniversary and share the gift of health.”

Th ousands of patients availed of free medical services and medicines in MDFI’s Operation Bigay Lunas.

LGU volunteer checking vital signs of patient.

Doctor volunteers providing free medical consultations

Student and Mercury Drug volunteers attending to the patients’ needs.

Children learning healthy eating tips from FNRI fi lm clips.

Patients receiving free medicines.

Doctor volunteers providing free medical consultations.

Membership CSR Initiatives

Sanofi Espoir Foundation in Paris, France recently announced a new

grant of up to 200,000 Euros to the Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC) for child cancer patients. This program is under the leadership of Dr. Julius A. Lecciones, Project Coordinator of MCM program in the Philippines and the executive director of PCMC. The grant will contribute to the Center’s public mobilization campaign that aims to improve the access of childhood cancer patients to adequate medical care.

11Membership CSR Initiatives6 7Membership CSR Initiatives

Sanofi Espoir Foundation in Paris, France recently announced a new

grant of up to 200,000 Euros to the Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC) for child cancer patients. Th is program is under the leadership of Dr. Julius A. Lecciones, Project Coordinator of the My Child Matters (MCM) program in the Philippines. Th e grant will contribute to the Center’s public mobilization campaign that aims to improve the access of childhood cancer patients to adequate medical care.

Th e Philippine version of My Child Matters: Th e Global Improvement of Childhood Cancer Care aims to galvanize the support of the public for a national comprehensive childhood cancer control and management plan. It will help build the capacity of collaborating hospitals to treat pediatric cancer patients and organize multidisciplinary treatment teams. Moreover, it will develop standards for pediatric cancer treatment facilities and management protocols.

Improving pediatric cancer management

Initially implemented in 2006, MCM has provided an extremely important framework for raising awareness of the curability of childhood cancer and for building the capacity of low income households for early diagnosis, treatment and care.

Since then, MCM has improved the management of childhood cancer in the country. Late diagnosis of cancer was reduced from 70 percent to 30 percent, treatment abandonment is now at 10 percent from 80 percent, and survival rates have increased from 16 percent to 68 percent.

To celebrate these achievements, cancer survivors who benefi ted from the MCM program, along with other patients from the PCMC cancer survivor group, were treated to a tour of the Avilon Zoo. Th e children, together with some employee volunteers from the SANOFI Blue Hands Volunteer Group, were able to see more than 3,000 species of animals housed at Avilon, currently the largest zoological institution in the Philippines.

“Th rough this simple activity, we want to celebrate the triumph of pediatric cancer patients over their disease,” said Atty. Darwin Mariano, Director of Public Aff airs and Communications of SANOFI. “We salute their courage and at the same time, we want to send the message to other cancer patients that there is hope. Th at they, too, can be well and live a normal life.”

SANOFI Espoir and PCMC Fight Childhood Cancer in the Philippines

Cancer survivors from the Philippine Children’s Medical Center toured the Avilon Zoo together with Blue Hands employee volunteers from SANOFI. Th e cancer survivors were benefi ciaries of the My Child Matters, an initiative to improve childhood cancer control and management.

Although there is an improvement in the management of pediatric cancer in the country, Dr. Lecciones said there is still much to be done. “What we have achieved this far is reducing late diagnosis of cancer in children. Our gains in reducing abandonment of treatment and increasing survival rates are still fragile and will be lost if we do not involve all sectors of society to put childhood cancer at the forefront of the national health agenda”, said Dr. Lecciones.

Moving Forward

“We can do so only if we successfully engage the government as an active partner. Today, we are in that direction already. Th e DOH National Center for Pharmaceutical Access and Management (NCPAM), through its ALL Medicines Access Program (ALLMAP), has been providing free chemotherapy drugs to poor patients in government hospitals since 2010. Last year, the Philhealth Z-package for acute lymphocytic leukemia expanded the benefi t package of reimbursable expenses”.

Th e PCMC is the reference hospital for childhood cancer for both the DOH NCPAM’s ALLMAP, and the Philhealth’s Z-package. PCMC assists 24 collaborating government hospitals in training and building their capacities for accurate diagnosis and the eff ective treatment of the dreaded disease.

With greater access to medicines and pediatric cancer specialists in many locations in the country, the geographic and economic inequity experienced by poorer patients will be eliminated in the shortest possible time. Early achievements in improving access to care for patients will be leveraged to continue changing the country’s health policies in support of further investment in childhood cancer control and management.

Mercury DrugGives back through

Operation Bigay Lunas

Mercury Drug reached out to thousands of Filipinos through Operation Bigay Lunas (OBL) in not just one site, but in 60 cities and municipalities

nationwide, as it celebrated its 68th anniversary last March 1, 2013. Running for 15 years, OBL is a lead outreach program of the company through

its corporate social responsibility arm, Mercury Drug Foundation, Inc. (MDFI). OBL is a tradition of service that reaffi rms Mercury Drug’s commitment to bring health care closer and more accessible to the people.

Th ousands of volunteers teamed up with MDFI for this year’s OBL. More than 1,200 doctors from both local government units and the private sector provided free medical services, with assistance from hundreds of nurse and midwife volunteers.

Nearly 1,000 pharmacy students from Centro Escolar University (Manila, Makati and Malolos), University of Santo Tomas, Our Lady of Fatima University (Valenzuela and Antipolo), University of Perpetual Help System-Dalta (Las Piñas and Biñan), and Virgen Milagrosa University Foundation (Pangasinan) came to help in the patient registration and documentation.

Mercury Drug employees and LGU offi cials worked together to ensure the smooth fl ow of the medical mission. Mercury Drug’s business partners (AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Cathay Drug, GlaxoSmithKline, GX International, InnoGen, Natrapharm, Nestle, Pfi zer, Pharex, Sandoz and Unilab) also provided full support with volunteers, medicines and health information materials.

Free vitamins and medicines for common ailments were distributed to all patients. Even patients with chronic diseases also got free medicines. Th ose who were diagnosed with bacterial infections were given their full medicine regimen to ensure complete treatment. Educational leafl ets were also distributed and healthy eating fi lm clips from FNRI were shown in selected sites.

All the data gathered during the OBL were promptly analysed on-site and actionable health cases were provided to the LGUs to support the government’s healthcare program. Unused medicines were also turned over to the LGUs for their health programs. With more than 138,000 benefi ciaries in 60 sites, MDFI’s 15th OBL was another success. As MDFI’s President Vivian Que-Azcona expressed, “It was a happy day to celebrate our anniversary and share the gift of health.”

Th ousands of patients availed of free medical services and medicines in MDFI’s Operation Bigay Lunas.

LGU volunteer checking vital signs of patient.

Doctor volunteers providing free medical consultations

Student and Mercury Drug volunteers attending to the patients’ needs.

Children learning healthy eating tips from FNRI fi lm clips.

Patients receiving free medicines.

Doctor volunteers providing free medical consultations.

Membership CSR Initiatives

12 Membership CSR Initiatives8 9Membership CSR Initiatives

Hilarion M. Guia was orphaned at the age of three, and was diagnosed with leprosy as a young child.

Against enormous odds, he went on to acquire a college degree, and was later elected as the fi rst mayor of Culion in Palawan. He is now the President of the Coalition of Leprosy Advocates of the Philippines. All this became possible largely because of the development of multidrug therapy (MDT), the cure for leprosy.

Leprosy is an ancient disease of the skin and nerves that is caused by Mycobacterium leprae. Today, leprosy can be cured, and should be treated just like any other curable disease. Still, the even bigger challenge of the present is to combat not only the illness itself, but also the prejudice and discrimination that continue to accompany it.

Th e Philippines currently ranks highest in the Western Pacifi c Region, in terms of new case detection for leprosy. But because priorities and resources are now shifting away from leprosy and towards other diseases and programs, multi-stakeholder participation has become

vital in helping sustain the fi ght against leprosy. Th e Department of Health (DOH) and the Novartis

Foundation for Sustainable Development (NFSD) have partnered to form a Task Force designed to help develop sustainable strategies and innovations that can be more eff ective in current times.

Th e Task Force has actively engaged with key stakeholders from the government and the private sector, including support groups for persons aff ected by leprosy. Currently, there is a move to develop mobile health systems to aid in leprosy management as well as to mobilize other stakeholder eff orts for the shared goal of moving towards a world without leprosy.

Novartis Healthcare and the Novartis Foundation for Sustainable Development (NFSD) have a long-term commitment to leprosy treatment and control. Novartis donates MDT worldwide since 2000 and has committed to do so until 2021.

The DOH-Novartis Task Force for Leprosy: Meaningful Collaboration and Harmonizing Action for Leprosy Control

Health Leaders for Mothers in Quezon City

Taking part in the commitment exercise are the stakeholders for Th e MSD for Mothers and ZFF Community Health Partnership. Shown from left to right are Patrick Bergstedt, MSD Asia Pacifi c president; Under Secretary David Lozada, DOH; former Secretary Esperanza Cabral, ZFF Board of Trustee; Under Secretary Ted Herbosa, DOH; Ambassador Roberto R. Romulo, ZFF Chairman; Dr. Jacqueline Flores-Kitong, World Health Organization; and Dr. Mary Ann Avalon;, Provincial Health Offi cer, Northern Samar.

Another maternal healthcare initiative is also being implemented by MSD together with the Kaya Natin!

Movement, the Health Leaders for Mothers (HL4M) Program in Quezon City. Now on its second year, HL4M was started early 2012 with the goal of increasing the capacity of the BHWs in communicating the importance of maternal health to families, as well as promoting health facility-based birth delivery among women.

As the immediate health practitioners in the community, BHWs and midwives are the primary sources of maternal health information of pregnant women. Th e HL4M campaign helps ensure that they get the right encouragement and information that will empower them to properly support and assist mothers, through activities such as BHW Congress, Buntis Tipanan, and Health Leaders’ Training. “BHWs are the frontline workers who promote public health in our country. So if you educate them they will be able to help address the key health issues in their communities,” said Harvey Keh, Lead Convener of Kaya Natin!

Th e success of the HL4M in improving the health-seeking behavior and addressing the indiff erence of mothers to maternal

healthcare could be attributed to the dedication of health leaders. Emma Empalmado, a BHW for almost 25 years, shared that at fi rst it was a challenge to convince expectant mothers to visit the health centers. HL4M changed their perspective on pre-natal check-ups. “Sa HL4M, na-enganyo ang mga nanay na pumunta sa health center dahil bukod sa mayroon consultation sa midwives at doktor, at buntis kit na nakukuha nila, may mga lecture at activities din kung saan natututo sila tungkol sa panganganak, nutrisyon at pagpapahalaga sa kalusugan ng kanilang katawan”

Mothers in the communities have expressed their gratitude for being part of the program. Th ey appreciated the support and kindness of their BHWs who accompany them to the activities of HL4M and who encourage them not to miss their pre-natal check-ups, as well as provide physical and emotional motivation.

Since its inception, HL4M together with the Ateneo de Manila University, has engaged and trained 23 health leaders. To date, the health leaders in turn have facilitated the profi ling of 2,727 mothers in seven barangays, initially starting with Pansol then expanding to Loyola Heights, Soccoro, Silangan, Escopa II, Project 4 and Bagumbuhay.

Membership CSR Initiatives

13Membership CSR Initiatives8 9Membership CSR Initiatives

Hilarion M. Guia was orphaned at the age of three, and was diagnosed with leprosy as a young child.

Against enormous odds, he went on to acquire a college degree, and was later elected as the fi rst mayor of Culion in Palawan. He is now the President of the Coalition of Leprosy Advocates of the Philippines. All this became possible largely because of the development of multidrug therapy (MDT), the cure for leprosy.

Leprosy is an ancient disease of the skin and nerves that is caused by Mycobacterium leprae. Today, leprosy can be cured, and should be treated just like any other curable disease. Still, the even bigger challenge of the present is to combat not only the illness itself, but also the prejudice and discrimination that continue to accompany it.

Th e Philippines currently ranks highest in the Western Pacifi c Region, in terms of new case detection for leprosy. But because priorities and resources are now shifting away from leprosy and towards other diseases and programs, multi-stakeholder participation has become

vital in helping sustain the fi ght against leprosy. Th e Department of Health (DOH) and the Novartis

Foundation for Sustainable Development (NFSD) have partnered to form a Task Force designed to help develop sustainable strategies and innovations that can be more eff ective in current times.

Th e Task Force has actively engaged with key stakeholders from the government and the private sector, including support groups for persons aff ected by leprosy. Currently, there is a move to develop mobile health systems to aid in leprosy management as well as to mobilize other stakeholder eff orts for the shared goal of moving towards a world without leprosy.

Novartis Healthcare and the Novartis Foundation for Sustainable Development (NFSD) have a long-term commitment to leprosy treatment and control. Novartis donates MDT worldwide since 2000 and has committed to do so until 2021.

The DOH-Novartis Task Force for Leprosy: Meaningful Collaboration and Harmonizing Action for Leprosy Control

Health Leaders for Mothers in Quezon City

Taking part in the commitment exercise are the stakeholders for Th e MSD for Mothers and ZFF Community Health Partnership. Shown from left to right are Patrick Bergstedt, MSD Asia Pacifi c president; Under Secretary David Lozada, DOH; former Secretary Esperanza Cabral, ZFF Board of Trustee; Under Secretary Ted Herbosa, DOH; Ambassador Roberto R. Romulo, ZFF Chairman; Dr. Jacqueline Flores-Kitong, World Health Organization; and Dr. Mary Ann Avalon;, Provincial Health Offi cer, Northern Samar.

Another maternal healthcare initiative is also being implemented by MSD together with the Kaya Natin!

Movement, the Health Leaders for Mothers (HL4M) Program in Quezon City. Now on its second year, HL4M was started early 2012 with the goal of increasing the capacity of the BHWs in communicating the importance of maternal health to families, as well as promoting health facility-based birth delivery among women.

As the immediate health practitioners in the community, BHWs and midwives are the primary sources of maternal health information of pregnant women. Th e HL4M campaign helps ensure that they get the right encouragement and information that will empower them to properly support and assist mothers, through activities such as BHW Congress, Buntis Tipanan, and Health Leaders’ Training. “BHWs are the frontline workers who promote public health in our country. So if you educate them they will be able to help address the key health issues in their communities,” said Harvey Keh, Lead Convener of Kaya Natin!

Th e success of the HL4M in improving the health-seeking behavior and addressing the indiff erence of mothers to maternal

healthcare could be attributed to the dedication of health leaders. Emma Empalmado, a BHW for almost 25 years, shared that at fi rst it was a challenge to convince expectant mothers to visit the health centers. HL4M changed their perspective on pre-natal check-ups. “Sa HL4M, na-enganyo ang mga nanay na pumunta sa health center dahil bukod sa mayroon consultation sa midwives at doktor, at buntis kit na nakukuha nila, may mga lecture at activities din kung saan natututo sila tungkol sa panganganak, nutrisyon at pagpapahalaga sa kalusugan ng kanilang katawan”

Mothers in the communities have expressed their gratitude for being part of the program. Th ey appreciated the support and kindness of their BHWs who accompany them to the activities of HL4M and who encourage them not to miss their pre-natal check-ups, as well as provide physical and emotional motivation.

Since its inception, HL4M together with the Ateneo de Manila University, has engaged and trained 23 health leaders. To date, the health leaders in turn have facilitated the profi ling of 2,727 mothers in seven barangays, initially starting with Pansol then expanding to Loyola Heights, Soccoro, Silangan, Escopa II, Project 4 and Bagumbuhay.

Membership CSR Initiatives

14 Membership CSR InitiativesMembership CSR Initiatives10 11Membership CSR Initiatives

True to its vision of improving the lives of people, A. Menarini Philippines, Inc. partnered with Operation Smile Philippines on the

Foundation’s 30th anniversary global celebration entitled Th e Journey Home. Menarini provided fi nancial support for the reconstructive surgery of 30 children suff ering from cleft lip, cleft palate, and other facial deformities.

A volunteer team of Menarini employees also actively participated in the surgical mission conducted by Operation Smile on November 27, 2012 at the Sta. Ana Hospital, Manila. Th e activity was part of a series of surgical missions carried out in eight diff erent sites throughout the Philippines from November 8 to 30, 2012. Th e objective was to give 1,500 children back their happy smiles.

Th e volunteers spent one day with kids who underwent cleft surgery. Th eir task was to entertain the children about to undergo cleft surgery and ease away their fears. Th ey brought along toys, books and coloring materials for the child-patients who queued up at the pre-surgery screening ward. Th e waiting-time turned out to be fi lled with fun and excitement not only to the children, but also to their parents.

Aside from supporting the cleft surgical operation for the children, Menarini donated medicine products such as Dermatix and Flammazine that are used to facilitate proper wound and scar healing. Th ere are plans that may be carried out in the future to strengthen the partnership with the help of local plastic surgeons.

As part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) program, Menarini vows to continue transforming the lives of indigent Filipino children suff ering from facial deformities. Th e end in sight is to give them a brighter future and change their lives with one happy smile at a time.

A. Menarini Philippines, Inc. is a subsidiary of Menarini Asia Pacifi c and part of the Menarini Group. Th e Group is Italy’s largest pharmaceutical company that ranks 17th among 5,296 companies in Europe and 34th among 17,771 companies in the world.

A. Menarini Philippines, Inc. partners with Operation

Signing of the Memorandum of Agreement between A. Menarini Philippines, Inc. and Operation Smile Philippines headed by Ms. Ninia Torres, General Manager, A. Menarini Philippines and Mr. Roberto Manzano, President and Executive Director, Operation Smile, Philippines.

2, 000 Walk to Help Stop Heart Disease

About 2,000 walkers joined Mercury Drug Foundation’s Walk for Heart Disease Awareness last February 17, 2013.

Enthusiastic walkers started assembling as early as 5:30 am at the start point, Mercury Drug Katipunan Loyola Heights store. As the sun rose, fi tness instructors of Gold’s Gym engaged the walkers in simple warm-up exercises to prime them for the walk to the fi nish point at Mercury Drug Q Plaza-Cainta.

Wearing the walk’s offi cial singlet, the walkers actively promoted the campaign “Walk and Help Stop Heart Disease” along the way. Executives of Mercury Drug Foundation and Mercury Drug Corporation warmly welcomed the walkers and led them to the promenade of the mall, where the rest of the awareness activities took place.

Th e promenade was literally fi lled to the seams, with more people joining in to avail of the free awareness services off ered by the Foundation’s healthcare industry partners: Abbott, Bayer, Bell Kenz, Boehringer Ingelheim, Corbridge, Crisdy-na, Geriatrica,

GX International, InnoGen, Interphil, LRI-Th erapharma, Manila Nature, Mead Johnson, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Nestle, Organics Asia, Otsuka, Pfi zer, Pharex, RiteMed, Sanofi -Aventis, Stiefel, Torrent Pharma, Westmont, Food and Nutrition Research Institute.

Free health screenings of blood pressure, blood sugar, ECG, cholesterol, triglycerides, body mass index, foot and leg vein were available for participants who wanted to know if they were at risk for heart disease. Th ose who wanted to know more about heart disease, its risks, and complications consulted with the many doctors providing free medical consultations. Many sought the nutrition experts for proper diet and useful tips on low-cholesterol and sodium-restricted food choices.

Heart-healthy products were off ered free for participants to try. Learning materials were also distributed. As people waited for their turn, they listened to a highly interesting lecture on hypertension, its causes and predisposing factors, the importance of medical consultation and tips on living a relaxed, stress-free life given by medical broadcaster Dr. Gary Sy.

All told, the walk and activities defi nitely raised the bar on awareness about heart disease. “Th rough this initiative, we hope we have helped more Filipinos embrace a healthy lifestyle, and to go for early screening, good nutrition and regular exercise to prevent and control heart disease, ” said Vivian Que-Azcona, president of Mercury Drug Foundation, Inc.

Walk and Help Stop Heart Disease is a signature disease awareness program of Mercury Drug Foundation, Inc., whose founder and chairman, Mr. Mariano Que, is a staunch advocate of promoting health and well-being among Filipinos.

Health Screening at the fi nish point.

Patients receiving free medicines.

Walkers negotiate the Aurora Blvd U-turn.

Mercury Drug

15Membership CSR InitiativesMembership CSR Initiatives10 11Membership CSR Initiatives

True to its vision of improving the lives of people, A. Menarini Philippines, Inc. partnered with Operation Smile Philippines on the

Foundation’s 30th anniversary global celebration entitled Th e Journey Home. Menarini provided fi nancial support for the reconstructive surgery of 30 children suff ering from cleft lip, cleft palate, and other facial deformities.

A volunteer team of Menarini employees also actively participated in the surgical mission conducted by Operation Smile on November 27, 2012 at the Sta. Ana Hospital, Manila. Th e activity was part of a series of surgical missions carried out in eight diff erent sites throughout the Philippines from November 8 to 30, 2012. Th e objective was to give 1,500 children back their happy smiles.

Th e volunteers spent one day with kids who underwent cleft surgery. Th eir task was to entertain the children about to undergo cleft surgery and ease away their fears. Th ey brought along toys, books and coloring materials for the child-patients who queued up at the pre-surgery screening ward. Th e waiting-time turned out to be fi lled with fun and excitement not only to the children, but also to their parents.

Aside from supporting the cleft surgical operation for the children, Menarini donated medicine products such as Dermatix and Flammazine that are used to facilitate proper wound and scar healing. Th ere are plans that may be carried out in the future to strengthen the partnership with the help of local plastic surgeons.

As part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) program, Menarini vows to continue transforming the lives of indigent Filipino children suff ering from facial deformities. Th e end in sight is to give them a brighter future and change their lives with one happy smile at a time.

A. Menarini Philippines, Inc. is a subsidiary of Menarini Asia Pacifi c and part of the Menarini Group. Th e Group is Italy’s largest pharmaceutical company that ranks 17th among 5,296 companies in Europe and 34th among 17,771 companies in the world.

A. Menarini Philippines, Inc. partners with Operation

Signing of the Memorandum of Agreement between A. Menarini Philippines, Inc. and Operation Smile Philippines headed by Ms. Ninia Torres, General Manager, A. Menarini Philippines and Mr. Roberto Manzano, President and Executive Director, Operation Smile, Philippines.

2, 000 Walk to Help Stop Heart Disease

About 2,000 walkers joined Mercury Drug Foundation’s Walk for Heart Disease Awareness last February 17, 2013.

Enthusiastic walkers started assembling as early as 5:30 am at the start point, Mercury Drug Katipunan Loyola Heights store. As the sun rose, fi tness instructors of Gold’s Gym engaged the walkers in simple warm-up exercises to prime them for the walk to the fi nish point at Mercury Drug Q Plaza-Cainta.

Wearing the walk’s offi cial singlet, the walkers actively promoted the campaign “Walk and Help Stop Heart Disease” along the way. Executives of Mercury Drug Foundation and Mercury Drug Corporation warmly welcomed the walkers and led them to the promenade of the mall, where the rest of the awareness activities took place.

Th e promenade was literally fi lled to the seams, with more people joining in to avail of the free awareness services off ered by the Foundation’s healthcare industry partners: Abbott, Bayer, Bell Kenz, Boehringer Ingelheim, Corbridge, Crisdy-na, Geriatrica,

GX International, InnoGen, Interphil, LRI-Th erapharma, Manila Nature, Mead Johnson, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Nestle, Organics Asia, Otsuka, Pfi zer, Pharex, RiteMed, Sanofi -Aventis, Stiefel, Torrent Pharma, Westmont, Food and Nutrition Research Institute.

Free health screenings of blood pressure, blood sugar, ECG, cholesterol, triglycerides, body mass index, foot and leg vein were available for participants who wanted to know if they were at risk for heart disease. Th ose who wanted to know more about heart disease, its risks, and complications consulted with the many doctors providing free medical consultations. Many sought the nutrition experts for proper diet and useful tips on low-cholesterol and sodium-restricted food choices.

Heart-healthy products were off ered free for participants to try. Learning materials were also distributed. As people waited for their turn, they listened to a highly interesting lecture on hypertension, its causes and predisposing factors, the importance of medical consultation and tips on living a relaxed, stress-free life given by medical broadcaster Dr. Gary Sy.

All told, the walk and activities defi nitely raised the bar on awareness about heart disease. “Th rough this initiative, we hope we have helped more Filipinos embrace a healthy lifestyle, and to go for early screening, good nutrition and regular exercise to prevent and control heart disease, ” said Vivian Que-Azcona, president of Mercury Drug Foundation, Inc.

Walk and Help Stop Heart Disease is a signature disease awareness program of Mercury Drug Foundation, Inc., whose founder and chairman, Mr. Mariano Que, is a staunch advocate of promoting health and well-being among Filipinos.

Health Screening at the fi nish point.

Patients receiving free medicines.

Walkers negotiate the Aurora Blvd U-turn.

Mercury Drug

16 UHC Communities

PHAPCares Foundation journeyed to Zamboanga and Tawi-Tawi

provinces twice in May 2013 for two com-pelling reasons. One was to look into the operations of the Sibutu UHC health struc-tures and the second was to respond to the urgent health needs of halaws, returnee fam-ilies fleeing the conflict over a disputed terri-tory in Lahad Datu, Sabah, Malaysia.

The first stop was the Zamboanga City Medical Center (ZCMC) where discussions on ongoing partnership arrangements in health took place. The ZCMC is a strategic referral hospital for cases not only from the Zamboanga peninsula but equally from the island provinces of Basilan, Sulu, and Ta-wi-Tawi. PHAPCares has pledged to help this tertiary DOH hospital with medicine requirements.

In Tawi-Tawi, the team checked on PHAPCares’ first UHC community in Sibu-tu that serves as a gateway for the return-ees. The team called on Integrated Provin-

Another milestone was attained on the Foundation’s 10th anniversary when a

Memorandum of Agreement was signed between PHAPCares and the municipality of Del Carmen, Surigao del Norte on June 26, 2013 in Cebu City. The ceremonies were held at the Officers’ Club of Central Mindanao Command in Lapu-Lapu, Cebu City. OCD7 and the AFP hosted this histor-ic event that elicited region-wide media coverage.

LGU and national officials who witnessed the event were Dir. Minda Morante of OCD7 and Dir. Liza Mazo of OCD11, CENTCOM commanders and their staff, local chief execu-tives, and national agency officials. On the side of PHAPCares, Board member Mr. Chris Eberle, CEO Teodoro Padil-la, Dr. Edgar Posadas, other officers and staff graced the occasion. A short dialogue and lively forum took place after the signing to address public inquiries regarding the project.

The partnership aims to build PHAPCares’ second UHC com-

cial Health Officer Dr. Asri Sukarno to get updates on the returnee situation and meet with institutional partners involved in pro-grams for the halaws.

Collaborative endeavors are in place among partners. DSWD and the Philippine Marines transported and processed the returnees. The Mahardika Institute of Technology-Ilmo Foundation, Sinhayasin-Kowman and DSWD combined to provide shelter, food, and basic needs. The UNFPA distributed hygiene kits, while PHAPCares provided essential medicines for check-ups and treatment.

In Bongao, PHAPCares came face to face with some 300 returnees who have newly disembarked from boats. For want of medical doctors to check on the new arriv-als, Dr. Edgar Posadas himself personally attended to a pregnant woman in prema-ture labor, and to a demented male patient who reportedly suffered abuse and maltreat-ments.

munity in Barangay Mahayahay on Siargao Island. Mahayahay is one of Del Carmen’s four island barangays that are geographically isolat-ed and depressed areas (GIDA) with a high poverty rate of 67.24%. Health in these barangays is a critical issue.

The building of a UHC community will help reduce morbidity and mortality, encourage good health-seeking behavior.

1st UHC Coummunity, sibutu, Tawi-Tawi:A heart for Sabah returnees

2nd UHC Community, Del Carmen, Surigao Norte: MOA Signing

17UHC Communities

The day was also marked by the turnover of donations from PHAPCares member companies to OCD7. These donations will benefit the victims of a hurricane that struck the towns of Mingla-nilla and Talisay, Cebu as well for the victims of typhoon Gorio that swept Central Visayas. OCD7 has invited the Foundation to the Regional DRRM Summit for LCEs with public-private partnerships as theme.

This was a good chance for PHAPCares to drum-roll its advocacy and community engage-ments in health.

The MOA signing will jumpstart the building of a barangay health stations (BHS) and a pharma-cy where consultations, treatment, and medicines can be availed. Likewise discussed between PHAP-Cares representatives and local officials was the holding of a health fair in Del Carmen.

3rd UHC Community Eyed in Tondo, Metro-Manila

PHAPCares is partnering with its corporate members in the creation of UHC communities, one of these being the Zue-

llig Family Foundation (ZFF). A meeting took place among Founda-tion and ZFF managers led by Mr. Christ Eberle to discuss the adop-tion of ZFF’s cohort community, Tondo, as the third in PHAPCares’ line up of UHC community building initiatives.

In this endeavor, PHAPCares and ZFF will also partner with the Young Focus for Education and Development (YFED) based in Barangay Balut, Tondo, Manila. YFED provides education to the children of garbage collectors and charcoal workers in Sitio Dama-yan and Smokey Mountain that have lately metamorphosed into a charcoal production center.

ZFF has established a small medical clinic beside the Barangay Day Care center that has been operating in the last two years. The clinic stands in need of a public health doctor who could initiate a needs appraisal of prospective patients in the community and identi-fy priorities needing prompt attention.

Earlier, PHAPCares made initial donations consisting of assort-ed essential medicines. The Foundation also recommend Dr. Button Ricarte to the post of clinic physician. Dr. Ricarte will momentarily continue the ZFF initiative with the support of YFED, the Founda-

tion, and ZFF. Meanwhile, PHAPCares and ZFF are mapping out new strategies that would hopefully lead to the formation of a third PHAPCares UHC community in Tondo.

18 Foundation News

Aid Line Philippine-Swiss, (ALPS), an aid institution based in Switzerland, coordinated with PHAPCares to reach out

to typhoon victims in Mindanao. After a series of talks, details of the engagement were laid out and a sustainability plan was conceived for

In Brief: Linking with ALPS to help morea community rebuilding program for disaster victims in the region.

PHAPCares coordinated with its partners in Region 11, notably the OCD-RDRRMC in Davao City. The target LGU was identified as the 5th-class municipality of Compostela in Compostela Valley province where some 6,000 households expressed the need for building materials with which to rebuild their homes.

ALPS donated Php350,000 worth of G.I. sheets to the munici-pality, with a distribution rate of six sheets per family. According to Mayor Jessie Bolo, the roofing sheets benefited about 327 house-holds. The sheets were turned over to Mayor Bolo by Mr. Reiner Gloor for and in behalf of ALPS. PHAPCares, for its part, donated boxes of quality essential medicines from its members.

The Foundation expressed its gratitude to its public sector part-ners for paving the way so that the much-needed help from the glob-al institution could reach the people.

PHAPCares takes part in LCF expo

In June 2013, PHAPCares took active part in the two-day Ex-position of the League of Corporate Foundations (LCF) en-

titled Isang Bansa, Isang Bukas, Sabay sa Pag-Unlad (One Nation, One Future: Together Towards Progress) held at the SMX Center in Pasay City. PHAPCares, with Pfizer, MSD, and Zuellig Family Foundation took part in the first-day session on Health called Kalusugan Para sa Lahat, Makiisa, Magkaisa (UHC: Get Involved, Be united).

Professor Ernesto Garilao of ZFF cited the importance of en-gaging and empowering poor communities to care for their health. Atty. John Basa of PhilHealth announced the insurance agency’s latest moves to broaden universal health coverage, in particular its efforts to include new case packages for health financing. New in-clusions are coronary bypass and procedures for the treatment of special and congenital heart conditions such as Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) and Ventricular Septial Defect (VSD). DOH Assistant Secre-tary Eric Tayag spoke on the agency’s health and wellness campaign,

ending his presentation with a dance number.Other discussions revolved around Inclusive Growth and Part-

nership, a theme central to PHAPCares’ strategies in disaster pre-vention and preparedness, volunteerism, and employee engagement.

Responding to Quake victims in Carmen, North CotobatoWhen a 5.7 magnitude earthquake hit the town of Carmen, South Cotaba-

to on June 1, 2013, PHAPCares promptly organized a humanitarian mission and flew to the scene despite of the continuing aftershocks and flooding. The Foundation coordinated with the OCD-RDRRMC7 in General Santos City to reach Carmen where 624 families were severely affected and their homes, badly damaged. The team was assisted by Dr. Anathy Naquitquitan, Municipal DRRM Officer.

On June 18, donations of quality medicines were turned over to Carmen Mayor Rogelio Taliño at the Rural Health Unit. The medicines benefited earth-quake victims who were mostly residents of barangays Kimadzil and Kibudtung. High flooding and security concerns prevented the team from further move-ment after the last stop at the municipal DRRM Operations Center.

This mission was another rich learning experience for PHAPCares as it strives to go beyond the boundaries of resources in order to make a difference in the lives of Filipinos.

19Foundation News

A recent World Bank report said that Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, has been identified as a hotspot for increasing risks due to diseases associated with climate change.

These diseases are air-, water- and vector-borne diseases which are influenced by climatic variables such as temperature, rainfall, rel-ative humidity and air pressure. Poor sanitation, lack of nutritious food and usuallly congested evacuation centers also make the people vulnerable to diseases.

Under the partnership, health services such as deworming, im-munization, medical and dental missions, and other activities to cope with health problems and develop a disaster resilient community are also included in the program.

The PHAPCares Foundation and OCD-RDRRMC VI have successfully launched the project in the eight provinces and cities of Western Visayas namely Iloilo, Aklan, Capiz, Guimaras, Negros Oc-cidental, Iloilo City, Bacolod City. On July 30, the project will be of-ficially launched in Antique to complete Phase I of the partnership.

Both the PHAPCares Foundation and OCD-RDRRMC VI are now preparing for the Phase II of the project which apart from hu-manitarian missions, would now include the Pharmaceutical Man-agement and Good Governance Training to make quality medicines more accessible to the people of Western Visayas.

PHAPCares Managing Director Edgar L. Posadas disclosed that while all these assistance are happening on the ground, it is time to expand its coverage to further empower the people in these com-munities.

“Apart from instituting measures to reduce risks brought by nat-ural calamities, it is equally important to address medicine access by

supporting the government’s Botika ng Bayan. The proposed pro-gram, which woud train pharmacy assistants about good medicine storage and distribution, could benefit more marginalized families in distant communities. Hence, we are looking at instituting this addi-tional component of our partnership with OCD,” he said.

According to the hazard mapping and assessment report of Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), 25% of barangays in Re-gion VI, which are located along the coast and hinterlands are hazard prone, depressed and nutritionally at risk.

OCD-6 Regional Director Rosario Cabrera earlier announced that for the town of Calinog, Iloilo, the project will be implemented in ten pilot barangays namely Barrio Calinog, Cabagiao, Poblacion Ilaya, Poblacion Delgado, Cahigon, Lampaya, Bamban Pequeno, Guiso, Dalid, and Badlan Pequeno.

Based on the rapid geohazard assessments conducted from 2006-2010, the provinces of Iloilo, Antique, and Negros Occidental have the most number of barangays with high vulnerability to land-slides.

In Iloilo, the municipalities of Leon, San Joaquin, Tubungan, Igbaras, Miagao, Lambunao, Calinog, Alimodian, Janiuay, and Con-cepcion have the most number of high-risk barangays to landslides.

In Antique, eight municipalities topped the most number of barangays as highly prone to landslides namely San Remigio, Laua-an, Patnongon, Hamtic, Valderrama, Barbaza, Sibalom, and Tobias Fornier.

The municipalities in Negros Occidental that have the most number of high risk barangays are La Castellana, Calatrava, Salva-dor Benidicto, Isabela, Pontevedra, Cadiz City, Murcia, Cauayan, San Carlos City, and Kabankalan City.

from page 4

For the last five years, PHAPCares Foundation has been certified as a donee institution by the Philippine Coun-

cil for NGO Certification (PCNC) and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).

PHAPCares plays an active role in PCNC activities, with Managing Director Dr. Edgar Posadas being one of the Coun-cil’s trained and accredited volunteer peer evaluators. In this ca-pacity, the Foundation helps other newly-organized foundations and NGOs from different sectors to become fully compliant with PCNC standards. PCNC is a quasi-regulatory body at-tached to the Department of Finance and the BIR.

In March 2014, the Foundation will go through another accreditation process in anticipation of another five-year certifi-cation. This would enable the Foundation to work on programs and projects with aid and grant-giving institutions. It will like-wise be authorized to continue distributing tax reduction certif-icates to its donors and contributors.

PHAPCares attended PCNC’s 2013 General Assembly at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City as a sponsor-contributor.

PHAPCares Foundation will team up with the Zuelling Family Foundation in the conduct of training on Phar-

maceutical Management and Good Governance. This training will be rolled out soon in Zamboanga City. The activity targets participants from LGU health offices and public health facili-ties, in particular pharmacy assistants and clerks who comprise the staff of community-based pharmacies.

An on-the-job (OJT) training module for the pharmacy assistants and clerks has been included, at the close of which the graduates will be accredited by the Technical Skills Devel-opment Authority (TESDA) with assistance from the Negros Occidental Pharmacists Association (NOPA). PHAPCares’ support to this training initiative will be in the form of donated medicines for the pharmaceutical outlets.

The training is expected to benefit communities in the Zamboanga peninsula, Tawi-Tawi, and Surigao del Norte as it will supply them with capable health service providers. A meet-ing was held on June 11, 2013 at the ZFF office in Parañaque to finalize the training design and modules, training materials, and the line-up of facilitators.

Reaching out toNGOs through PCNC

Training in Pharmaceutical Management and Good Governnance

20 Communications and Advocacy

As part of the PHAPCares’ 10th anniversary this year and as one of the 10 meaningful

engagements for 2013, PHAPCares has forged a part-nership with the UP College of Medicine’s Mu Sigma Phi (MSP) that is expected to benefit indigent patients and victims of disasters.

The PHAPCares Foundation and the UP-MSP signed a Memorandum of Agreement in June which aims to enhance a meaningful cooperation between the two organizations since the “Sine Sabi” Film Ex-hibition of the UP-MSP Quisumbing Escandor Film Festival on Health held in time for PHAP’s 65th an-niversary in 2011. The said films were compiled in a handy video library which are being distributed to the communities we support as part of our visual infor-mation and education materials.

The major agreements in the MOA signed were the provision of manpower, specifically medical doc-tors, by MSP to the humanitarian missions of PHAP-Cares in its disaster and humanitarian response in-itiatives. It will also set off the regular donation of medicines by PHAPCares, depending on the availa-bility of resources, to MSP’s Drug Bank located at the

2013 PHAPCaresFoundation, Inc.

OFFICERS & TRUSTEES

OFFICERS

PresidentTHOMAS WEIGOLD

PresidentNovartis Healthcare Phils.

Vice-PresidentLOURDES MAGNO

PresidentHi-Eisai Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

TreasurerRAYMUND AZURINPresident and CEO

Zuellig Pharma Corp.

Chief Executive OfficerTEODORO B. PADILLA

PHAPCares Foundation, Inc.

Managing DirectorEDGAR L. POSADAS, MD

PHAPCares Foundation, Inc.

TRUSTEES

REYNALDO DELA CRUZ, JR.President and General Manager

Elli Lilly Philippines, Inc.

CARLITO REALUYOGeneral Manager

Sanofi-Aventis Phils. Inc.

CHRISTIAN EBERLEGeneral Manager

Metro Drug

AHMET GENELCountry ManagerPfizer Inc., (Phils.)

FRANCIS DEL VALGeneral Manager

Glaxosmithkline Phils.

ESPERANZA CABRAL, MDHONORARY TRUSTEE

PHAPCARES BEYONDVol. 1 No. 3 • January - December 2013

EDITORIAL BOARDTeodoro B. Padilla

Dr. Edgar L. PosadasMarian T. Pausanos

EDITORIAL STAFFEmerson M. Querimit

Jhona O. Ng

CONSULTANTMary Anne Barcelona

PHAPCares Beyond is published by the PHAPCares Foundation, Inc.

with offices at502 One Corporate Plaza

845 Arnaiz Avenue, Makati City, Phils.

For inquiries, please contact:Tels. (632) 814-1800, (632) 816-0618

E-mail: info@phapcares.org.phWebsite: www.phapcares.org.ph

PHAPCares-UP-MSP Partnership MOA Signing

UP College of Medicine premises in UP-Manila. The UP-MSP Drug Bank was established in the 1960s and still functions up to now to provide essential medi-cines mostly to out-patient indigent patients at PGH who go to them for help.

Before the actual signing, UP-MSP gave the Foundation a walking tour of the Pediatric and Pediatric ICU wards, Male and Female Adult Internal Medicine Wards, the OB-GYNE and OB ICU wards as well as the Out-Patient Department of the UP-PGH in Taft Avenue, Manila for us to have actual glimpse on the state of the healthcare provision in the hospital. The visit to the wards also provided the partners a better understanding on the importance of such cooperation especially in terms of providing access to quality medicines.

As the PHAPCares Foundation reaches out to far-flung and remote communities around the country, a partnershp was forged to help boost disaster resillience of Metro Manila residents and responders.

To better give the partners present during the signing a better perspective of what PHAP thru PHAPCares does in line with its social responsibility

and humanitarian advocacies, the AVP on our UHC adopted com-munity of Sibutu in Tawi-Tawi was shown which drew the attention of doctors and medical students in at-tendance.

Before the actual signing, messages were delivered by Mr Ted Padilla, CEO, PHAPCares, for and in behalf of the Foundation’s Trustees, Dr. Joseph Brazal, Presi-dent, UP-MSP and Dr. Copernico Villaruel Jr., Consultant Adviser, UP-MSP.

The UP-MSP has recently been deployed to the medical car-avans of the Teaching, Loving and Caring of ABS-CBN DZMM.