The staff and volunteers of the Council for Health and Development (CHD), in partnership with the Nueva Ecija Community-Based Health Program (NE-CBHP), conducted a two-day training at Brgy. Casongsong, Guimba, Nueva Ecija on November 18 and 19, 2023. The training consisted of a lecture on the signs and symptoms of common diseases such as cough and fever and practical training on the use of instruments for measuring vital signs, followed by an orientation on mental health.

The objective of the training is to equip community members with knowledge and skills that would allow them to create a healthcare system at the community level that is receptive to their specific needs. This training session is part of the Basic Health Skills Training program designed to develop Community Health Workers (CHWs) in the barangay.

Around 15 members of the community participated, many of whom are affiliated with the Liga ng Manggagawang Bukid (LMB), an organization of Filipino farmers who do not have their own agricultural land and are instead hired by landowners; others were residents of the neighboring town of Sta. Ana who specifically visited Casongsong to join the training. They also expressed great interest in forming a health committee in their barangay in the future.

In order to broaden the scope of free or affordable health services in the municipality of Guimba, Nueva Ecija, the efforts to establish a Community-Based Health Program in this region have been continued after almost four years of being slowed down due to the pandemic. This initiative is part of laying down the foundation of a people-managed health care with a deep understanding of the social causes of disease. It also allows CHWs to be more knowledgeable about their right to health–including physical and mental health, both of which are essential components in the well-being of communities.