Training health communicators in the Philippines
These health communicators are some of the unsung heroes during the COVID-19 pandemic, sharing messages in a timely manner so people can protect their health and well-being. It was an honour to support and work with them.
Participants from different regions collaborated and engaged with each other in various simulation exercises. © WHO Philippines
About this project
As RCCE Pillar Lead at WHO Philippines from 2021 to 2023, this was one of the flagship projects I led during my tenure. Four months in the making, the multi-phase Crisis Communication and Infodemic Management Workshop — spanning asynchronous, online, and in-person sessions — brought together over 80 DOH spokespeople and health communicators from across the country. The challenge was designing a capacity building initiative that was both comprehensive and practical, with participants’ learning needs at the center. These are some of the unsung heroes of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it was an honor to support and work with them. Participants noted the modules and activities as well-curated and engaging — a milestone we couldn’t have reached without teammates Ava Batay-an and Albert Dominguez, our DOH counterparts, WHO colleagues at WPRO and HQ, and other partners.
The World Health Organization Philippines and the European Union in the Philippines supported the Department of Health (Philippines) in conducting “Transforming COVID-19 Wins to UHC Wins: A Crisis Communication and Infodemic Management Workshop” on 3-5 May 2023 in Davao City.
“Through effective health communication, public health officials like you can engage the public and help them make informed and better health decisions. You have the power and the influence to guide them to adapt their behavior and protect themselves, their families and their communities from getting sick or dying from diseases,” Dr Rui Paulo de Jesus, WHO Representative to the Philippines said.
The workshop aimed to enhance the capacity of the Department’s spokespeople at the subnational level on informing the public during a public health crisis and managing community-level infodemic.
“May we continue honing ourselves for the betterment of our service delivery to every Filipino, and may we never falter from seeking advancement and improvement towards the better realization of Universal Health Care for a Healthy Pilipinas!,” said DOH Officer-in-Charge Dr Maria Rosario Singh-Vergeire.
