Valenzuela City’s Barangay Health Workers, Always Ready for Battle!

The City Government of Valenzuela, under the leadership of Mayor WES Gatchalian, in cooperation with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Synergeia Foundation, and Johnson & Johnson presented NCII certifications to 31 Valenzuelano Barangay Health Workers (BHW) at the Valenzuela City Academic Center for Excellence (ValACE), March 13, 2023.

The Barangay Health Worker NCII seminar course of TESDA aims to increase the knowledge, skills, know-how, and proper decorum of Barangay Health Workers being deployed to different parts of the city. It will also develop not only their health-related skills but also their personal well-being as the certification will boost their confidence in their field. The lectures, training, and demonstrations were held for a total of 58 days during the months of September and October 2022 while the assessment was done last December 2022 and January 2023. 

The training scheme of TESDA’s BHW NCII consists of expertise in applying basic first aid, assisting with patient mobility, maintaining beds, handling waste in a healthcare environment, monitoring infection control, and implementing high standard healthcare policies and procedures, thus conforms with the city government’s mission to provide the best quality and self-sufficient healthcare services to the Valenzuelanos.

City Health Officer, Dr. Marthony Basco expressed the importance of the said training. He said, “Dito po sa atin sa Valenzuela, gusto po ni Mayor WES na sa 356 po na Barangay Health Workers ay macertify po lahat kayo, gusto rin po natin na pati yung mga barangay-funded Health Workers ay maging NCII certified din. Pag-iisahin po natin ang mga health workers, whether you are city-funded or barangay-funded. Ide-define din po natin ang inyong nga roles, sa pakikipagtulungan po ng ating mga partners, para maging mas malinaw ang inyong mga roles. I-practice po natin ang ating mga natutunan dahil ‘yun po ang pinaka importante, ‘yung maishare natin ito at makatulong tayo sa mga tao.” [Here in Valenzuela, Mayor WES wants all our 356 Barangay Health Workers to be certified. We also want all barangay-funded health workers to be certified. We will define your roles, whether you are city-funded or barangay-funded. We must practice what we learned because that is the most important, sharing and helping others.]

On the other hand, Vice Mayor Lorie Natividad-Borja emphasized the essential of having NCII Certification,“‘yung maging TESDA NCII certified ay malaking bagay dahil sa buong bansa, kayong 31 ang unang batch na nakapasa, kaya naman dapat proud tayo na kayo ay TESDA certified. Pero simula pa lang iyan, kailangan i-practice natin ang pagiging TESDA certified para mainspire ang iba pang mga Barangay Health Workers, para lahat kayong more than three hundred Barangay Health Workers ay maging TESDA certified.” [Being a TESDA NCII certified is a big deal because in the whole country, you are the first batch who passed, that is why we must be proud that you are TESDA certified. But this is just the beginning, you must practice being a TESDA certified to be able to inspire other Barangay Health Workers, so that all more than three hundred plus of you will be TESDA certified.]

The NCII training course for the Valenzuelano Barangay Health Workers was spearheaded by the Office of Vice Mayor Lorie Natividad-Borja and was sponsored by Synergeia Foundation led by Dr. Milwida Guevara and Johnson & Johnson. 

A new batch of Valenzuelano Barangay Health Workers will undergo the same course for the year 2023 which will continue the city’s pursuit to certify all the city’s Barangay Health Workers that will eventually ensure best quality and sustainable healthcare services for all. 

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