Midwifery Course in 2010?

The Zamboanga Puericulture School of Allied Medicine (ZPSAM), a charitable non-profit institution in the city, will soon offer midwifery course and possibly other medical courses in the future.

Their application for the establishment of midwifery course is now being processed by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and its approval will most likely come on June next year, said Zamboanga Puericulture Center President Dr. Rodel Agbulos.

ZPSAM first offered a caregiver course and successfully assisted 15 of their graduates to work abroad while others are still in the process of completing their requirements and hope to follow soon, said Mrs. Maria Pilar Salilig, ZPSAM Human Resource Officer.

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ZPSAM Slide

Puericulture Welcomes Students of Batch 2009-2010

A September to Remember with Jed Madela.

A benefit concert last September, 2006.

ZPC Dance Number 2008

Gerky is New Puericulture Board Director

Councilor Gerky Valesco
Photo Courtesy of: TheMindanaoExplorer.

- April 16, 2008

Councilor Gerky Valesco has been inducted as among the latest member of the board of directors of the Zamboanga Puericulture Center.

Valesco, along with three other community leaders were formally inducted into office Saturday at the Lotus Restaurant of the Grand Astoria Hotel. Also inducted as Honorary Board of Directors were: City Social Welfare Officer Francisco Barredo, Dr. Milabel Ho of the Western Mindanao State University and Atty. Romeo Covarrubias.

Dr. Rodelin Agbulos, chair of the Zamoboanga Puericulture Center and the entire board chose Valesco and other personalities based on their contributions and reliability in community service. “Valesco has been helping many organizations in the city. He has been an active volunteer of the Red Cross and has been with the Jaycees since 1990. He is actively involved in many local activities and projects with remarkable accomplishments. We deemed that his presence and initiatives can very well contribute to the interest and welfare of the ZPC,” Agbulos said.

Agbulos said, similarly, the selection of Barredo, Ho and Covarrubias were anchored of their potentials to accentuate the organization toward positive change that will convey to the improvement of services at the puericulture in general.

“Dr. Ho has wonderful initiatives and so is Atty. Covarrubias whose track record will show that he has been active in many civic undertakings, same with Barredo who exemplified in social services work,” Agbulos pointed out. (PR/Alvin Lim)

Riza Lacbao - Zamboanga Today

ZPSAM in Action!

Zamboanga Puericulture School of Allied Medicine - OPEN!

Zamboanga City (September 13) -- From a kindergarten school, a lying-in hospital and a livelihood complex, the Puericulture Center is moving forward fast, as it now offers a caregiver course.

Called the Zamboanga Puericulture Center School of Allied Medicine (ZPSAM) was formally opened recently with Mayor Celso Lobregat and District I Congressman Erbie Fabian as special guests.

ZPSAM president Dr. Rodel Agbulos cited the contributions of the late Mayor Maria Clara Lobregat for the many developments that transpired at the Puericulture Center. "This is a result of an inspiration drawn from someone who even gone, still remains our driving force towards development, to our dear Ma'am Caling Lobregat, we again dedicate this new venture of our organization, the Zamboanga Puericulture School of Allied Medicine".

Agbulos also acknowledged the contribution and support of Mayor Celso Lobregat and Cong. Erbie Fabian, who, he said, believe in the Puericulture Center's mission in service to the city populace.

Mayor Lobregat has been bestowed the title of honorary chairman of the Puericulture Center after the demise of Mrs. Lobregat citing his role in the expansion of the hospital from one level primary hospital to two-storey secondary hospital.

Agbulos said the hospital has tremendously increased the number of patients daily, at times surpassing the 100 percent occupancy. He owed this to the hospital's concern to the members and the admission package of P2, 000 for normal delivery for Philhealth members.

According to Agbulos, the caregiver school will be able to utilize the hospital facilities, a system that would be beneficial to the students.

He also thanked Cong. Fabian for assisting the institution in terms of hospital equipment like incubator for premature babies, ECG machine and Doppler.

District I Congresswoman Beng Climaco has also promised to share her resources for the improvement of services of the Puericulture Center.

While still in its infancy, the School on Allied Medicine is aiming high, Agbulos said, as he revealed the proposed forging of a memorandum of agreement between the ZPSAM and an agency in Japan that will provide for the hiring of caregiver graduates by Japanese institutions.

The school is also networking with other agencies like the Public Employment Service Office, the Technical Education Skills and development Authority (TESDA)and other agencies for the enhancement of the school operations.

"Dreams, dreams will continue and not stop from the caregiver course in the near future you will again be invited for the launching of Puericulture Midwifery School and probably a school of nursing to evolve from this caregiver course", Agbulos declared. (CIO/PIA Z.C.)

PIA Press Release - 2007/09/13

FABIAN ALLOCATES P1.5M FOR PUERICULTURE HOSPITAL

District 2 Congressman Erbie A. Fabian has allocated P 1.5 million from his Priority Development Assistance Funds for assistance to the Zamboanga Puericulture Center Hospital, particularly for the acquisition of equipment.

The needed equipment include beds and baby incubators .

Fabian said that there is a need to upgrade the equipment of the Puericulture Center as the number of pregnant women in the city grows faster. Many of them prefer to have their baby delivered at Puericulture because of the minimal service payment.

Last year, Fabian gave a state-of-the-art mobile blood bank clinic to the Red Cross. The mobile van is the first of its kind in the country.

Fabian said that he will continue to support the Red Cross in its program and development to serve the people and the community.

Tuesday, July 3. 2007
by: Allen Abastillas

ESTABLISHMENT OF PUERICULTURE CENTERS IN THE PHILIPPINES

It was the first Secretary of Health, Dr. Jose Fabella, who enlisted women's clubs to help him organize puericulture centers all over the country and help raise funds for the support of the centers. The first actual center to serve babies and mothers was set up in 1905 by a group of women led by Concepcion Felix, wife of Felipe Calderon, author of the Malolos Constitution. The women called the center La Gota de Leche.

In 1911 when the Hospicio de San Jose was organized to house orphans, babies
were cared for, too. Another organization, Liga Nacional Filipina, was seriously working on the reduction of infant mortality, which was 350 deaths for every 1,000 babies born.Dr. Jesus Gabiera in 1913 organized the first formal puericulture (pueri means child and culture means care of).

ACT NO. 2633 (AN ACT APPROPRIATING THE SUM OF ONE MILLION PESOS FOR CERTAIN WORK IN RELATION TO THE PROTECTION OF EARLY INFANCY IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS, INCLUDING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF "GOTAS DE LECHE")

In 1916, Act No. 2633 was enacted, directing health officials to organize puericulture centers all over the country. By December 21, puericulture centers had been set up in the provinces. In 1921, the Public Welfare Commission was tasked to supervise and organize puericulture centers. It was mandated that all centers should have a doctor,a nurse, a midwife and a social worker, all to be paid by the government.

Between 1921 and 1926, Fabella mobilized members of the National Federation of Women's Clubs of the Philippines (NFWCP) and put in place 329 puericulture centers in the country. On February 25, 1961, Paz Mendoza Catolico of the NFWCP, with the support of then President Carlos Garcia, organized the National League of Puericulture and Family Planning Centers at a national convention in San Sebastian College in Manila. After 1961, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Children's Fund,construction of puericulture center buildings.

When Imelda Marcos was governor of Metro Manila, all the puericulture centers in the area were administered by the Metro Manila Commission. Today, pueriuculture centers and the women who used to run them are surviving, but barely. Politicians took advantage of the disarray after the EDSA revolution of 1986. Some took over the buildings and supervision of the centers, while others removed the name puericulture center on billboards and replaced them with day care and health centers. Today, there are 380 active puericulture centers all over the country, including 80 in Rizal and Metro Manila.

History of Puericulture Centers

EARLY BEGINNING AND PERTINENT LEGISLATION IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD

As early as 1860, a French physician advocated a special branch of hygiene devoted to promoting the health of infants and children. Under the term puericulture,knowledge about the nutrition and development of small children was extended in France, Germany and England. In France, infant consultation centers were widely established. These clinics were set up under the authority of local public health agencies.

Great Britain enacted a Maternity and Child Welfare Act in 1918. In the United States, the Sheppard-Towner Act of 1921 authorized federal grants to the states to finance the establishment of well-baby clinics and pre-natal clinics for expectant mothers. Although this US legislation was terminated in 1929 because of opposition from the organized medical profession, it was reinstated in 1935 as a section of the US Social Security Act.


AS PART OF MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH (MCH) LEGISLATION

Recognition of the importance of this maternal and child health (MCH) legislation was underscored by its definition as a special title within the Social Security Act, separate from all the other provisions.

Since the end of World War II, MCH legislation has become a standard feature of the health laws of virtually every country. Under official policies, the provision of routine examinations, immunizations, nutritional counselling, and often treatment of minor illness, has become a prominent service given at community health centers and small health stations everywhere. Several countries have enacted legislation defining MCH services very broadly, to encompass not only the health protection of infants and mothers, but also the health of school children, adolescents, the extension of family planning, and the education of health personnel on these matters.

In Italy for example, a Regional Law of 1979 calls for general preventive health services to mothers and children, multidisciplinary specialized services, emergency obstetric and neonatological care, refresher training for pediatric personnel, and encouragement of breast feeding. Legislation in Bolivia details requirements for MCH services at primary, secondary and tertiary levels. The quality of care by traditional birth attendants and health promoters is regulated. Agencies providing this care must be licensed and supervised by the Ministry of Health. Mothers are ensured legal protection during their reproductive life and the internationally recognized rights of children" are protected.