April 6, 2019
Following developments in technology and current trends in the health care industry, and recognizing the growing importance of health workers in the communities, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) has released the new Training Regulations (TR) for barangay health workers (BHWs).
“These new Training Regulations for Barangay Health Services NC II recognizes the indispensable roles that the frontline health workers play in providing primary health care in our barangays” explained TESDA Director General, Secretary Isidro S. Lapeña.
The new training regulations for Barangay Health Services NC II was developed by TESDA in partnership with the National Confederation of Barangay Health Workers for Health Development of the Philippines, Inc. (NCBHWHDP, Inc.), and the Bureau of Local Health Systems and Development of the Department of Health (BLHSD-DOH).
According to the new TR for Barangay Health Services NC II, certified workers will assist the household to identify health problems, share knowledge and skills among community members in health promotion and disease prevention and control, ensure the safe custody and correctness of records of health activities, and monitor the health status of household members, among others.
“This is what is referred to as the primary health care approach and it is recognized as a major strategy towards health empowerment. We empower our BHWs with the relevant skills and knowledge. Barangay residents are assured that the BHWs serving them are qualified and duly certified as community health care providers, ” added Lapeña.
Entrants to training programs under the new TR must be at least 18 years old, have at least 10 years of basic education or ALS certificate, must have volunteered for barangay health work for at least one year, must be able to perform basic computations, and be physically fit.
The minimum duration of this training for BHWs runs from two and a half to three months. This new TR supersedes the old regulations promulgated by TESDA in 2006.
Data from the Department of Health showed that a total of 205,886 barangay health workers are in their BHW Registry.
The importance of barangay health workers is acknowledged in RA 7883 known as “The Barangay Health Workers Benefits and Incentive Act of 1995”. The act provides that “the State shall protect and promote the right to health of the people and to provide conditions for health empowerment, where each individual has access to information and services that will bring about health and well-being”.
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