PUDTOL, Apayao – Screenings, checkups, and small conversations in waiting lines made up the rhythm of the day as more than 480 residents most of them women showed up at the New Evacuation Center on April 4 for a one-day health mission under Apayao’s Project BUTSY.
Organized through a multi-agency partnership between the Philippine Obstetrical and Gynecological Society (POGS), the Rural Health Unit (RHU) of Pudtol, Amma Jadsac District Hospital (AJDH), the Provincial Health Office (PHO), and the Far North Luzon General Hospital and Training Center (FNLGHTC), the caravan focused on bringing preventive health closer particularly for women.
The day saw a flurry of free medical procedures: 105 clinical breast examinations, 82 ultrasound procedures, 77 VIA (Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid) screenings, 186 eye care consultations, and 133 bone density and hematocrit checks. Each test, each consultation, a small intervention in the larger goal of keeping yApayaos out of hospital beds through early detection.
“We are making sure that no one is left behind when it comes to healthcare,” said Pudtol Mayor Hector Reuel D. Pascua, acknowledging the convergence of government offices, hospitals, and medical volunteers. “This initiative is all about building a healthier and more resilient Apayao.”
For Karla Katrina P. Langbay, the province’s focal person on VIA and breast screenings, the mission goes past numbers. “Breast and cervical cancers remain major health concerns for Filipino women,” she said. “Sadly, many are only diagnosed in the later stages, when treatment becomes more difficult. Regular screenings such as VIA and Clinical Breast Exams are powerful tools that can save lives by detecting abnormalities early,” she added.
Langbay also addressed a reality that stretches beyond any one event, limited access, lack of awareness, and fear. “By prioritizing your health and participating in these screening programs, you are not just protecting yourself,” she added, “you are helping build a healthier community.”
Project BUTSY continues to roll out health-centered initiatives province-wide, including the “PuroKalusugan” campaign. In Apayao, healthcare is not a favor. It is a right one the province is determined to deliver, whether in hospitals or community gyms. By Loremia Pareja
