By Mar Supnad BALANGA CITY, Bataan - Some 60 delegates from 20 Asia Pacific countries and members of the World Health Organization (WHO) expressed their wish to adopt Bataan and Balanga City's local health governance that has a strong anti-smoking campaign that is coupled with an efficient health service delivery network, which are now being adopted by other regions in the Philippines. The delegates of 4th Meeting of Asia-Pacific Parliamentarian Forum on Global Health (PIA Bataan / MANILA BULLETIN) Delegates of the 4th Meeting of Asia-Pacific Parliamentarian Forum on Global Health, headed by Dr. Albert Francis Domingo, WHO consultant for health systems strengthening, said the foreign delegation had a fruitful discussion with the local government officials. "The (members of parliament) all loved the site visit–you could tell by their engagement. Very good Q and A. Excellent food," Domingo said. The Province of Bataan headed by Gov Abet S Garcia and Rep. Joet Garcia, (2nd district), hosted the whole day affair last Friday with delegates from Asia-Pacific countries who benchmarked the province's health programs. Gov Garcia said the foreign guests learned of Bataan and Balanga City's local health governance and later experienced a native boodle-style luncheon on barangay initiatives for health. The WHO representative noted the "warmest hospitality" shown by the province and city through close security protocol right from the entry of the delegation in Bataan highway, colorful dance and song welcome presentations, souvenirs and receptive hosts. "Bataan represented the Philippines very well today," Domingo pointed out. Among the officials present in the forum were Senate Committee on Women and Gender Equality Chairperson Risa Hontiveros, House Committee on Health Chairperson Angelina Tan, Bataan Governor Albert Raymond “Abet” Garcia, Bataan 2nd District Rep. Jose Enrique “Joet” Garcia III, Balanga City Mayor Francis Garcia, and officials from Department of Health (DOH). "Economic growth has a lot to do with health care since people will not only have food on their table, they will also have extra money for health care if necessary because they are gainfully employed," Governor Abet stressed. Gov Garcia presented the vision of the province on having the lowest poverty incidence in the country and attaining one of the highest human development index scores by year 2020. "In fact, we have the lowest poverty incidence in the entire country at 1.6 percent," he said. Bataan's fast development is attributed to what the governor coined as "engines of growth" which include the freeports and economic zones that produce thousands of jobs not only for locals but also for people in and out the Central Luzon region. Stop the 'bully' In the open forum on local health governance, Rep. Joet called for active social mobilization to counter the "bullying" of tobacco companies. This came after the Regional Trial Court in Balanga City recently ruled in favor of cigarette makers, declaring illegal the city Anti-Smoking Ordinance, raising eyebrows among local officials and newsmen here. "The City of Balanga is facing a big challenge against the tobacco industry. What we need is that the people in the grassroots get to know this bullying that puts our families lives in danger," he said. Mayor Francis Garcia explained that the strict prohibition of smoking helped in the tourism and economic growth of the city. "More businesses were recorded, tourist arrivals increased and the number of smoking individuals decreased with the implementation of Tobacco Free Generation (TFG) program," he said. Balanga is a hall of famer in the Red Orchid Awards of DOH that recognizes institutions that are 100 percent tobacco-free. The city is also the Guinness World record holder for the largest dance fitness class staged in 2016 as part of its TFG campaign. Efficient service delivery In the BGH, the delegates learned of the hospital's improved Service Delivery Network. This process outlines the flow of services starting from consultation, referral and treatment of primary/secondary/tertiary cases, to end referral to specialty hospitals. "We are currently constructing a five-storey building for the outpatient department to cater more to our growing public," BGH Chief Dr. Gloria Baltazar said. An ISO certified hospital, BGH is also a Red Orchid Award recipient. Safe and peaceful For this international meet, the provincial government of Bataan utilized the Incident Command System in a bid to standardize the approach in command and coordination, providing systematic organization among multiple responding agencies. "The event is successful because the safety of our delegates has been secured from start to finish," Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) head Josefina Timoteo said. The Incident Management Team provided combined resources to ensure proper traffic management, events, facilities, personnel and communication. It was led by unified incident commanders from Philippine National Police, PDRRMO, Provincial Governor's Office, Metro Bataan Development Authority, Bureau of Fire Protection, and DOH, with aid from partner agencies such as Philippine Information Agency and the local government units. The team was supported by liaison officer and resource unit leader Michelle Caraig, and logistics section chief Hellen Escudero. The Meeting of Asia-Pacific Parliamentarian Forum on Global Health was a platform for members of parliaments to exchange ideas, build political will, strengthen capacities, and foster collaboration towards sustainable action for health.