Negros launches FPTC in Silay

BACOLOD CITY: The provincial government-operated Teresita Lopez Jalandoni Provincial Hospital (TLJPH) in Negros Occidental launched on Friday, February 2, the operations of its family planning training center (FPTC).

The Silay City-based health care facility is the first provincial hospital in the Philippines to host an FPTC.

The hospital is implementing the program in partnership with the Department of Health, United States Agency for International Development (USAid) and Research Triangle Institute (RTI) International.

Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said the establishment of the facility will allow the provincial government to develop and capacitate both new and existing primary care providers in line with the implementation of the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act.

“What we are launching today is the first LGU (local government unit)owned FPTC in the country in TLJPH,” the governor said during the launch at the Capitol Social Hall here.

Lacson was joined by Girlie Pinongan, provincial health officer; Mary Ann Maestral, chief of hospital of TLJPH; Marc Franco Leong, training team head; and Laurentiu Stan, chief of party for USAid’s ReachHealth project in the Philippines.

Stan said that in the past year, the project has put efforts toward supporting the UHC implementation and along with it, the strengthening of family planning and adolescent reproductive health programs in Negros Occidental.

Specifically under family planning, the USAid supported the establishment of the training center at the TLJPH through plan development, orientations, project management and collaborative discussions.

Also, they provided support for the capacity building of health providers from all 31 LGUs as trainers for the community health workers’ task-shifting course.