January 30, 2010

AMPATUAN, Maguindanao – Almost 250 pupils from Kamasi Elementary school here and their parents availed of free medical checks ups, dental services and free medicines and nutrient foods in a joint outreach program launched by five agencies of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) recently.

The pupils were also taught on the proper ways of brushing teeth and washing hands by field experts from the health and nutrition division of the Department of Education (DepEd). On the process, they were given free toothpastes and toothbrushes, according to ARMM Deputy Executive Secretary Abdullah Kusain.

Dozens officials and workers from the ARMM’s DepEd, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Department of Health, Department of Social Welfare and Development, and Technical, Educational and Skills Authority launched the inter-agency activity here last January 28 on order of acting Regional Governor Ansaruddin Alonto-Adiong, Kusain said.

Petronila Lim, school nurse from Datu Piang said free medicines for cough, fever, pain relievers, diarrhea, antibiotics and hypertension were readied for distribution on Monday for the pupils’ parents, especially those affected or displaced by the August 2008 atrocities between military and rebel forces, and the Nov. 23, 2009 massacre and its resultant martial law imposition.

In his brief message read for him by Kusain, Adiong said his administration is “committed to bring about needed reforms and deliver basic services for the people through series of medical and dental missions to host communities and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).”

The mission delivered a complete health package to the host school here. It will cover next week the municipalities of Shariff Aguak, Datu Unsay and Datu Abdullah Sangki.

Kusain said the series of mission would last until March to provide resident pupils and teachers ample psychological and medical attentions from experts.

Aside from the health package, the mission also provides vegetable seeds, skills training for parents of pupils in the conflict affected areas of the four towns.

A water system and two-storey classroom with chairs and tables and restrooms with rain water collector is set for construction by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the ARMM Social Fund Project (ASFP) at the National High School in Shariff Aguak town.

Reports from DSWD-ARMM, as of January 19, 2009, said there are 20,343 families still living in 80 evacuation centers in Maguindanao while 23,104 other families have already returned to their respective places of origin during the month of December 2009.

Director Taya Aplal, DepEd-ARMM focal person to the Technical Management Group, Regional Disaster Coordinating Council (RDCC), said teachers and pupils in the conflict-affected towns would receive psychosocial stress debriefing.

She said a facilitators training on Psychosocial Intervention on Critical Incidence Debriefing for teachers, non-teaching and school health personnel is underway until May with support from DepEd National Office and UNICEF.

The inter-agency mission is also supported by the Armed Forces of the Philippines – 6ID and ASFP. (johenry/cbpi-armm)