Davoeños benefit Apo Agua’s 7th Annual Outreach Program

Judy Quiros

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posted on 2 years ago — updated on 1 second ago

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Davaoeños mostly, Indigenous People (IP) benefit from this year’s medical, dental, and legal Outreach Program of Apo Agua Infrastructura, Inc. (Apo Agua) in line with its mission of uplifting the lives of host communities.

Now in its 7th year of implementation, Apo Agua, in collaboration with its government partners, provided free medical and dental consultations, as well as legal assistance to more than 1,500 residents, particularly IP communities of Barangays Gumalang, Wines, Tawantawan, Tambobong, and Tamugan. These government partners include the City Health Office (CHO), Baguio District Health Office, Marilog Health Office, National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) Region XI, Armed Forces of the Philippines 27th Infantry Battalion- Alpha Company, Davao City Police Office-Revitalized Pulis sa Barangay (DCPPO-RPSB) Cluster 6 and 13, City Council Committee on Health, and Councilors from the city’s third District.

The beneficiaries from the host barangays also received free prescribed medicines and vitamins. Additionally, the community development program offered free circumcision for boys, which was conducted by volunteer doctors.

“In collaboration with various city and national government agencies, we have joined forces with private organizations to extend healthcare services to rural communities. This partnership allows us to go beyond our regular programs offered by the District Health Offices and ensure that quality healthcare reaches those living in remote areas,” Dr. Thomas Miguel Ababon, acting City Health Officer said.

The National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) Region XI provided medical and legal services, particularly to the Obu- Manuvu and Bagobo- Klata tribes in the said five barangays.

NCIP RXI Regional Director Mumar M. Mamukid shared that, “Aside from the medical services, the NCIP Team extends legal advice, legal documents for birth certificate registration, name correction and affidavit for both indigenous and non-indigenous peoples of the communities. This collaborative effort between government agencies and the private sector demonstrates a commitment to address healthcare and legal challenges faced by the indigenous peoples. This annual initiative spearheaded by Apo Agua is crucial in promoting health equity and improving the health and well-being of indigenous cultural communities.”

Apo Agua President Anna Lu also emphasized how this program affirms the company’s commitment to support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) namely SDG 3, focusing on good health and well-being, and SDG 6, centered on clean water and sanitation.

“Now in its seventh year, this annual initiative is a testament to our commitment to uplifting communities by improving access to primary health care for our communities, especially for mothers and children. We are thankful to all our volunteers, medical personnel, barangay council and functionaries, and our team members for their dedication to serving our partner communities. At Apo Agua, we are committed to being part of the solution in producing safe, reliable, and sustainable water to augment the growing water demand of Davao City,” Lu said.

City Health Office - Marilog District staff provides health screening to support the Medical Mission activities at Barangay Tamugan last July 28.

Government agencies are in full force as representatives from each department participate in the mission of providing free services to more than 300 residents of Barangay Tambobong.