“Let us commit to action to make sure that in Negros Occidental, women’s rights are upheld and all forms of discrimination eradicated. Let us purposely reject gender as a determinant of health and wellbeing,” Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said Thursday, May 26.
The governor issued the call at the International Day of Action for Women’s Health program at the Capitol Social Hall in Bacolod City.
Women represent the core of a family’s overall health, the illness or death of a woman has serious and far-reaching consequences for the health of her children, family and the community, he said.
“Women’s health is influenced not just by their biology but also by other conditions such as poverty, employment, and family responsibilities. Let us strongly encourage Negrense women to take time to maintain good health for themselves, and not to neglect their own needs due to their natural tendency to focus on the health care of their spouse or children,” Lacson said.
The 2023 Gender and Development Plan and Budget of about P300 million was presented to Lacson during the rites.
Lacson said they will see how much funds the province will have in 2023 because next year’s budget from the national government will be based on the country’s earnings from 2020 at the height of the COVID-10 pandemic, so they are expecting a lower share.
Present at the activity were board members Rita Gatuslao and Araceli Somosa, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Ernell Tumimbang, Assistant Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Jessica Fama, and Executive Assistant IV Marie June Castro, Povincial Gender and Development Focal Point System action office, among others.
Female Capitol employees availed of health services, which included blood sugar, cholesterol, and uric acid testing, and COVID-19 vaccination, spearheaded by the Provincial Health Office at the Capitol Lobby.*