Davao del Norte – Lumad moms were thankful for the maternal health services they received at the Buntis Congress during the third day of the BEST PEOPLE Festival of Services that highlighted the weeklong Kadagayaan Festival 2018.
For 30-year old Tongerok Lumanday, the safe motherhood event last June 28, 2018 was truly a blessing from God.
She revealed that she experienced trauma when she suffered two still births and two neo natal deaths due to poor reproductive health and pregnancy knowledge.
“Buhi unta sila kung kabalo lang ko sa angay buhaton. Mao nga lipay ko ani nga aktibidad kay dako kini ug tabang, ilabi na sa amoa nga naglisod (my babies could have survived had I known the right things to do. So this event is truly a great help, especially for us who are hard up),” Lumanday said.
She said she could no longer take any chances when she delivers her 9th baby next month.
“Didto na jud ko sa hospital manganak ug pagkahuman magpa-ligate na pud ko,” she bared, after learning about the importance of safe motherhood and responsible parenthood at the event.
The Ata-Manobo mother, who hails from Sitio Patil, Gupitan, Kapalong town was among the 100 pregnant Indigenous mothers from the highlands that benefitted from the Congress. Over hundreds more mothers from Tagum City and neighboring towns also availed that day.
The provincial government allotted special care for pregnant mothers during the third day of the BEST PEOPLE Festival of Services, which was staged in celebration of the weeklong 51st Araw ng Davao del Norte.
The safe motherhood initiative has since been a regular feature in the weeklong Service Caravan being rolled off by the province to the various local government units since February.
Aside from reproductive and pregnancy health awareness campaign, other services enjoyed by the pregnant mothers include free pre-natal services, laboratory examinations, ultrasound services, dental care, and vitamins, among others.
Provincial First Lady Karina Anna del Rosario said the province scaled up its maternal and child health and nutrition program in order to ensure healthy women, who are the cornerstone of a healthy society.
“We believe that the key to a greater society is a sector of mothers who are happy, healthy and productive, as they will lead the future generation into doing grander things,” she said.
“The province will continue to give importance on services that push for growth and development that will create a positive environment for the mothers and their children in our province,” she added.
The 51st founding anniversary of Davao del Norte is firmly supported by the Tagum Agricultural Development Company, Inc. (TADECO), Ulticon Builders, Inc. and MED 9, official partners of the province for the celebration.
"The sponsors of the event include the Hijo Resorts Davao, Davao Metro Shuttle, Kapalong Cooperative, Tagum Cooperative, Inc., LYR Group of Companies, Land Bank of the Philippines, PAGCOR, and Panorama Summit Hotel. While, the donors are the Holiday Garden Island Development Corporation and TrueMoney Philippines.
