IMPROVING BARANGAY GOVERNANCE. Xavier University - Ateneo de Cagayan's Governance and Leadership Institute (XU-GLI) director Dr Dixon Yasay facilitates the first module of the Barangay Health Leadership and Governance training course with local leaders and health workers. Contributed photo. 

By Wilson J Hormeguera

The Xavier University - Governance and Leadership Institute (XU-GLI) conducted the first module of the Barangay Health Leadership and Governance (BHLG) training course from September 11 to 13 in Initao, Misamis Oriental.

The BHLG Module 1 training was aimed at ensuring leadership accountability on barangay health issues and concerns, activating the Barangay Health Board as a governance structure for health, strengthening multi-stakeholder participation, and coming up with measures to address "Three Delays" of maternal and child deaths.

The participants were barangay chairpersons, barangay councilors for health, barangay nutrition scholars, presidents of barangay health workers, and barangay center nurses from Cagayan de Oro City (barangays Agusan, Cugman, Gusa, Lapasan, and Puerto).

“This training course has made us realized that we need to strengthen governance at the barangay level in order to better address health issues in our localities,” shared Barangay Gusa chairman Marlo Tabac.

This training formed part of the three-module Barangay Leadership and Governance Program of Cagayan de Oro City Health Office, in partnership with the Office of the City Mayor and Xavier Ateneo's Governance and Leadership Institute.∎