Free checkup, meds in Barangayan

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (18 April 2015) – An elderly resident of Barangay North is prioritized in the free medical services given by the city government through its Barangayan program on April 10. Residents availed of services like free medical check-up, medicines, massage and civil registration. (Gensan CPIO/ Jan Rey Libunao)

Private groups join Barangayan

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (14 April 2015) – The city government was joined by Living Power International Corporation (LPIC) and other private groups Friday (April 10) in a Barangayan to bring free blood pressure-taking and iris checkup in Barangay North.

City Mayor Ronnel Rivera said the city government is inviting more private companies to join them in the weekly Barangayan to further strengthen the service provided to the people.

“Aside from increasing the quality of services we provide through the LGU, having the private sector here to help us also adds quantity and is a positive (note) towards fostering partnership,” the mayor added.

The Barangayan was able to cater to more than 60 patients who had their eyes checked.

“By checking the iris, we will know the condition or illness of a person without need of a laboratory check-up,” explained iridologist Jane Paldo of LPIC.

“We look into the eyes of the person because all parts of the body are connected to it,” she added.

Through their method of checking the iris, they can identify the patient’s present condition.

Aside from the free checkup, they also offered the company products at a discounted price.

The team of four iridologists, headed by Dr. King Nozario, was the first batch of LPIC iridologists in General Santos City.

It is already their second year to join the Barangayan since its operation last year. Through coordination with the Integrated Barangayan Affairs, they were able to continue participation in the Barangayan.  (Gensan CPIO/ Sharmagne Villacastin)

Gensan receives Child Friendly Seal

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (14 April 2015) – The Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) has given its stamp of approval to the Local Government Unit of General Santos (LGU-GSC) by giving the city the 2014 Seal of Child-Friendly Local Governance (CFLG).

The award comes after LGU-GSC passed the Child-Friendly Local Governance Audit (CFLGA).

The CFLGA is a mandatory audit system crafted by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) last 2013 -- in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd) and Department of Social Welfare and Development -- to ensure that LGUs all over the country are active in pursuing the delivery of effective social services to the children and the youth.

Some of the gauges set by the DILG for the CFLGA are completion rate for elementary schooling; safety measures for children in the community and schools; extent of mainstreaming of children’s rights to core development agenda of LGUs; an ordinance establishing Barangay Violence Against Women and their Children (VAW/C) desks; PHILHEALTH accreditation in its main health facility or rural health unit for Maternal Care Services and Primary Care; a Local School Board (LSB) plan for CY 2013 that is aligned with the School Improvement Plan (SIP);  and 70% completion of the LGUs LSB Plan for 2013.

“I am glad that they have noticed our efforts in making the local government child-friendly. We will make sure that we will continue to deliver services that will benefit our children and youth,” City Mayor Ronnel Rivera said.

Under his flagship program CLEAN Gensan (Creating a Livable Environment for All Generals towards Nation-building), Mayor Rivera specified that LGU Gensan will be focused on improving it services in the areas of education, health, and social services.

“I chose these areas because they are needed by our constituents, especially by the children, women, and elderlies. They are our vulnerable sector that is why we should take care of them,” Mayor Rivera said.  

Mayor Rivera has launched various initiatives that are anchored on the CFLGA criteria.

The mayor has also strengthened partnership with DepEd and private agencies to raise the educational standards and academic learning here in Gensan.

Programs like enhanced Early Childhood Care Development Initiative (ECCDI), Community Teach, and Project Modelo were implemented to further promote the rights of the children towards quality education.

LGU Gensan employees have also taken part in building additional classrooms through the “Piso Ko, Klasrum Mo” program.

Every month, each employee has to donate P1 from their salary. This amount will be accumulated by the General Santos City Government Employees Association (GSCGEA) for the construction of makeshift classrooms

.

Youth-oriented activities such as the Gensan Summerfest were introduced last 2014 to empower the youth in the city through various sports competitions and development trainings.

Also, with the support of the local government to the young athletes of the city, Gensan took the championship title of SOCSKSARGEN Regional Athletic Association Meet last February 2015 by grand slam. 

LGU Gensan had allotted P3.4 Million for the training of these athletes. (Gensan CPIO/ Ian John Lagare)

World TB Day

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (30 March 28 2015) – The Department of Health (DOH), St. Elizabeth Hospital, Mindanao Medical Hospital, General Santos Doctors Hospital, Mother Children Hospital, Midwives Association, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, Mahintana Foundation, PAMET South Cotabato Chapter, Public Health Center, doctors, nurses, midwives, and medical technologists support "World TB Day" as they teach the community how to treat tuberculosis (TB) at Barangay San. Jose on Tuesday, March 24. This activity aims to provide awareness of the illness called TB initiated by DOH and the City Health Office. (Gensan CPIO/ Jan Rey Libunao)

People first in Barangayan

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (30 March 2015) – Residents of Barangay Bawing are prioritized in the free medical services given by the city government through its Barangayan program Friday, March 27. The city government also brought government services to Barangay San Jose on March 20 through the Barangayan program where residents availed of services like free medical check-up, medicines , massage  and civil registration. (Gensan CPIO/ Jan Rey Libunao)

City Hall employees undergo medical-physical tests

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (24 March 2015) – Employees of City Hall have undergone their annual medical-physical examination which started last week as part of the wellness program.

City Mayor Ronnel Rivera earlier upgraded the health and wellness benefits of city employees with the aim of keeping a healthy workforce that can better serve the people.

According to the mayor, the physical well-being of employees has a significant impact on the efficiency and effectiveness of the delivery of public service.

The mandatory tests included blood collection, taking of vital signs, optical exams, chest X-ray, urine and stool exams, and exclusive male and female check-ups.

“All are required to undergo medical-physical examination except those who have already undergone chest X-ray in the past three months,” said Marlene Pelayo of the Human Resources Management and Development Office.

The activity is part of the commitment by Philippine British Assurance Company, Inc. (PBACI) as the chosen health insurance company of the city.

PBACI brought its own teams of medical technologists along with four doctors and four nurses to handle the entire duration of the examinations.

This year’s medical-physical tests will address the health concerns of about 1,377 employees.

The examination results will be the basis for health and wellness interventions as advised by physicians and experts. The interventions include free additional consultation and medicine.  (Gensan CPIO/Sharmagne Villacastin)

Pediatric ward patients get gifts

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (22 February 2015) - Gensan's First Lady Jane-Gollon Rivera gives happiness to the children-patients of General Santos City Hospital Pediatric Ward on February 20 through giving of stuffed toys. (Gensan CPIO/ Russell Delvo)

Mayor Rivera, wife deliver foam beds for kids

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (22 February 2015) - City Mayor Ronnel Rivera with wife, Jane Gollon-Rivera, donates 64 foam beds to General Santos City Hospital Pediatric Ward on February 20. This donation was made in partnership between the Ronnel C. Rivera Foundation Inc. and Gensan Tourism Council to give comfort to the children inside the hospital. (Gensan CPIO/ Russell Delvo)

City Mayor visits city hospital

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (13 February 2015) – City Mayor Ronnel Rivera expresses his love to the in-patient kids of the General Santos City Hospital Pediaward by giving them stuffed toys and other gifts on February 10. He said that through this visit, he may be able to lift the spirits of the sick children and their families. (Gensan CPIO/ Russell Delvo)

City hospital patients get zero bills

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (24 December 2014)  – One hundred and fourteen indigent in-patients of the General Santos City Hospital were discharged Tuesday ( December 23) without paying their hospital bills through the amnesty program of the Department of Health (DOH) in partnership with the city government.

The Medical Assistance Program (MAP) is the amnesty program of the DOH that downloads funds to different city and municipal hospitals to help those patients who are not enrolled in PHILHEALTH.

These 114 released patients are those who were confined at the hospital who do not have PHILHEALTH membership.

City Hall spent more than P1 million to shoulder their bills.

The city hospital received P6 million from DOH Region 12 on the first week of December 2013.

Personnel from the City Social Welfare and Development Office are assigned to screen the patients if they are qualified or not to avail of the amnesty program. 

Once a patient is deemed qualified, his/ her entire bills will automatically be shouldered by the city hospital through the allocated funds of DOH.

City Mayor Ronnel Rivera has already instructed the administrators of the city hospital that they should cater even those who are not residing here in General Santos.

“In this way,” Mayor Rivera said, “we can help these needy people who are currently confined in our hospital. But more than that, we are also slowly decongesting the number of our patients.”

Regie Teves, 29, of Barangay Tambler is one of the grateful beneficiaries of the said program.

“My wife was sent here to undergo a Caesarean operation upon giving birth to our first child. Our bill is only around P5,000 but we cannot pay it because we are poor,” Teves said.

“That is why I am really happy for this program by the mayor and the DOH because they really help unfortunate people like us. This is the greatest Christmas gift for me,” he added.

Gabrielle Fernandez, assistant head of the city hospital, said that they are hopeful that the DOH will give more funds to the city next year so that they can continue this program.

“If we can submit a fully liquidated and detailed report to the DOH national office, then we can ask for more funds for our amnesty program,” Fernandez said. (Gensan CPIO/ Ian John M. Lagare)

Lying-in clinics, RHUs to integrate

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (11 December 2014) – City Mayor Ronnel Rivera answers the queries of doctors on the upcoming lying-in centers and rural health units (RHUs) integration in a forum Tuesday, December 9, in Tierra Montana Hotel. The integration is pursued by Mayor Rivera to expand the health services being offered by the government hospital. (Gensan CPIO/ Russell Delvo)

General Santos Doctors’ Hospital opens medical arts building

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (10 December 2014) - City Mayor Ronnel Rivera expresses his support to the management of the General Santos Doctors’ Hospital for their new medical arts building. He said the health facility will complement the health services the government hospital is offering. (Gensan CPIO/ Russell Delvo)

Gensan City Hospital gets P6M from DOH

By IAN JOHN M. LAGARE

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (5 December 2014) - The local government unit of General Santos City (LGU-GSC) has received an early Christmas gift from the Department of Health (DOH) in the form of P6 million as hospital funds.

DOH 12 Regional Director Dr.  Teogenes Baluma handed the P6 million check to Committee on Health chairperson City Councilor Rosalita Nuñez, City Health Officer Dr. Edgardo Sandig, City Hospital Director Dr. Benjamin Pagarigan, and City Administrator Atty. Arnel Zapatos on December 01 at the Oval Gymnasium.

According to Dr. Baluma, the amount will be utilized by the city hospital to cater to in-patient indigents pursuant to DOH Administrative Order No. 2014 – 0024 (Guidelines on Medical Assistance to Indigent and Poor Patients in Government Hospitals).

“I hope this gives our indigent patients a degree of confidence to avail the services of the city hospital, knowing that we allocated budget for them,” said Dr. Baluma.

City Mayor Ronnel Rivera has ordered that a part of the P6 million will be used to cater to those in-patients who are still not registered under Philhealth.

The mayor assured that the funds will be properly utilized consistent to Commission on Audit guidelines to avoid misuse.

“We want to guarantee to our constituents that the city hospital is ready to serve them. In fact, we are also in partnership with different government agencies and NGOs in providing better facilities, equipment, and medicine supplies to our hospital,” Mayor Rivera said.

Since 2008, the DOH has already given P144 million for the improvement of the hospital. This amount was used to procure hospital facilities and conduct refurbishment to the hospital building.

This year, the LGU-GSC has secured a total of P67 million from DOH. (Gensan CPIO/ Ian John M. Lagare)

3-day medical mission of Starkey Hearing Foundation for SOCSKSARGEN

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (26 November 2014) - City Mayor Ronnel Rivera thanks the Starkey Hearing Foundation during a thanksgiving party at SM City Gensan Tuesday, November 26, for giving more than 400 hearing aids to the constituents of the city. There were 1,500 hearing aids given by the Starkey Foundation in the entire SOCSKSARGEN Region in their three-day medical mission at Lagao Gymnasium which started last November 24. (Gensan CPIO/ Russell Delvo)

City Hall employees now enjoy additional health care benefits

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (29 October 2014) – City Hall employees are now enjoying more health benefits, thanks to the healthcare program pushed by City Mayor Ronnel Rivera.

The Philippine British Assurance Company, Inc. (PBACI), represented by its marketing manager Bonifacio Solomon, signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with Mayor Rivera for the healthcare program Monday (October 27) and was witnessed by the government employees.

                                                                                                                                    

According to Solomon, the new healthcare scheme grants the employees free preventive, outpatient and inpatient healthcare in their accredited hospitals for one year. Also, their healthcare includes unlimited dental check-ups and operations.

Mayor Rivera divulged that the local government unit of General Santos City (LGU-GSC) has allocated P13.1M for the said venture with the PBACI, and will now become a part of the annual budget of the city.

“This (healthcare) is an addition to the PHILHEALTH package of the employees, so this is a very good step to take care our employees. We want to focus on the health welfare and program of the local government because like I said, our greatest asset is our employees,” the mayor explained.

“But along with that,” the mayor added, “we expect our employees to be more productive and give better outputs as we are giving more benefits for them.”

It is the first time for the LGU-GSC, since its inception, to have a healthcare program aside from PHILHEALTH.

Aside from the city mayor, LGU-GSC employees as represented by the General Santos City Government Employees Association (GSCGEA) also pushed for the healthcare package to be implemented.

Many employees are thankful for this initiative, including Loi Ellivera, assistant department head of the Local Civil Registrar (LCR), who has been in service for 25 years already.

“It is a great help for us, especially that it will free our health and hospital needs. We need this one for so long and I am thankful that it is now here,” Ellivera said.  (Gensan CPIO/ Ian John M. Lagare)

City Hall employees now enjoy additional health care benefits

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (29 October 2014) - Local government employees' health welfare is now secured, thanks to the implementation of the healthcare program through a Memorandum of Agreement between City Mayor Ronnel Rivera and the Philippine British Assurance Company Inc. signed Monday, October 27. (Gensan CPIO/ Russell Delvo)

Cranofacial Foundation of the Philippines makes medical mission

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (05 October 2014) – City Mayor Ronnel Rivera inquires about the condition of  patients of the latest medical mission here in the city conducted by the Cranofacial Foundation of the Philippines on Friday, October 3. Twenty-two constituents with cleft palate were treated in the medical mission. (Gensan CPIO/ Russell Delvo)

22 patients treated by Cranofacial Foundation of the Philippines

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (05 October 2014) – City Mayor Ronnel Rivera visits patients of the Cranofacial Foundation of the Philippines (CFFP) medical mission Friday, October 3. Twenty-two constituents with cleft palate were treated.  (Gensan CPIO/ Russell Delvo)

Free meds now available in Gensan Hospital

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (5 September 2014) – A pharmacy for the indigenous and marginalized sector in the city was opened by City Mayor Ronnel Rivera Monday (September 01) in partnership with the Mahintana Foundation.

Located at the General Santos City Hospital, the Health Plus Pharmacy is a facility that will give cheap but efficient medicines to the poor of the city.

For the indigents who are patients of the public hospital, the Health Plus Pharmacy will give free medicines as long as they are PhilHealth members.

On the other hand, non-indigent patients will be charged with the medicines, but with significantly lower cost as compared to commercialized pharmacies.

Also, seventy percent (70%) of the profit of the Health Plus Pharmacy will go to the local government unit of General Santos City, and the remaining thirty percent (30%) will be to Mahintana Foundation.

Mayor Rivera assured that the medicines of the Health Plus Pharmacy are safe and effective, as they are being supplied by National Pharmaceutical Foundation, Inc.

Accordingly, this pharmacy will soon be constructed in all 26 barangays of General Santos City, as agreed upon on the memorandum of agreement signed last August 25 between Mahintana Foundation and the LGU-GSC, after the State of the City Address of Mayor Rivera.

“This initiative is for us to extend quality and cheap hospital services to the marginalized sector and indigenous constituents of the city. I want to improve more our public hospital and regain the trust of the people to it,” the mayor said. (Gensan CPIO/ Ian John M. Lagare)

City Health Office goes automated

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (5 September 2014) – The time of processing the City Health ID will now be drastically cut short, as the City Health Office (CHO) has started its systems’ automation.

With the assistance from the Information and Communications Technology Division (ICTD) of the City Mayor’s Office, the CHO launched its City Health Information System Monday (September 1).

This information system of the CHO will automate and hasten the release of City Health ID, reducing the process from days into less than an hour.

The City Health ID is one of the most time consuming requirements to get a Mayor’s Permit—a necessary item before an individual can get work or employment in the city.

But even with the computerized process the other requirements for the said ID still remain, such as medical laboratory tests and a half-day seminar regarding basic health and sanitation.

City Mayor Ronnel Rivera, who was present during the launching, was one who first tried the automated system. It just took less than 10 minutes before the ID was fully processed.

“I am happy that gradually, we are heading to that goal of making our LGU offices fully automated and computerized. In this way, we can serve our constituents in a much faster, efficient, and convenient rate,” Mayor Rivera stated.

Dr. Benjamin Pagarigan of the CHO said that the launching of the information system is an initiative they have taken, in line with the thrust of Mayor Rivera to fully automate the offices of City Hall.

Pagarigan also added that the system will also simplify the profiling and data-banking of every individual who acquire services from the CHO and the public hospital as well. (Gensan CPIO/ Ian John M. Lagare)