Cordillera Administrative Region- A couple of months after signing a MOA with the Cordillera office of Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD-CAR), the Baguio-Benguet Community Credit Cooperative (BBCCC) donated a set of medical equipment and supplies for a health station in Kibungan, Benguet.
The health center in Sitio Tabbac, Palina was built last year through the DSWD Kalahi-CIDSS in partnership with the community and the municipal government of Kibungan. However, the medical equipment and supplies were to be sourced from the LGU or other agencies later.
After learning about BBCCC’s dental and medical initiatives that included the donation of medical equipment, DSWD-CAR workers coordinated with community volunteers of Sitio Tabbac, Palina to submit a proposal to the cooperative.
BBCCC Director Mary Ann Bungag personally visited the municipality to validate the specific needs at the health center after her office received the proposal.
On February 21, a month after the proposal was submitted, some members of the Board of Directors (BOD) and employees of the BBCCC traveled to Kibungan, Benguet to turn over the medical equipment and supplies in Sitio Tabbac.
They provided gynecological beds, patient beds, medicine refrigerator, weighing scales, BP apparatus, medical cabinets, and others amounting to more than PhP 325,000.00.
During the turn over, Bungag told the community that all the medical equipment and supplies are from the 17, 000 members of the cooperative. “The fund is not from our pocket but from all the members of the cooperative,” she said.
She continued that the cooperative is happy to be of help to the people of Sitio Tabbac. “We can only ask one thing from you, please take good care of the facilities so that it can be used for a longer period of time,” she continued.
BOD Vice Chairman Arturo Asuncion was also delighted to see the children and the parents in the community who will benefit from the facility. He then encouraged them to become a part of the cooperative, saying “If you are interested to join BBCCC, we can organize an orientation seminar here in the municipality.”
Meanwhile, Sangguniang Bayan member Susan Atayoc who witnessed the turn-over together with DSWD Kalahi-CIDSS staff said they are overwhelmed with joy for the donation given by BBCCC. “Among all the needy communities in the Cordillera, you chose to answer to the needs of our people. We feel so lucky,” she remarked.
She added that Kibungan is thrilled that within a month, the proposal was approved and the needed equipment and supplies already delivered.
Since the MOA signing on November 2018, BBCCC and DSWD-CAR had been closely coordinating to provide services to most needy communities in the Cordillera.
On December 10, 2018, BBCCC also donated a similar set of medical equipment and materials to the Barangay Health Center in Kinama, Rizal, Kalinga.
By Jasmin Kiaso
