DSWD Secretary Dinky Soliman (center) answers questions from reporters during the Media Forum on Maternal Healthcare at the Sulo Riviera Hotel, Quezon City.  Two former Health Secretaries,  Dr. Alberto Romualdez and Dr. Esperanza I. Cabral also served as resource persons

Maternal healthcare and health service delivery system in the country were the agenda tackled during the Secretary’s Cup, a media forum organized by the University of the Philippines National Health Institute (UP-PNHI) and Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP).

As speaker, Secretary Dinky Soliman presented the impact of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program on Maternal and Child Health. According to Secretary Soliman, the Pantawid Pamilya program contributes to the national health care program or “Kalusugang Pangkalahatan” of the government by ensuring that all Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries are registered with Philhealth. Pantawid Pamilya program also ensures that pregnant mothers get pre and post natal care, mothers should bring their children to health centers for immunizations, weight and height monitoring and preventive check-ups.

To date, Pantawid Pamilya has 3,085,798 registered beneficiaries.   Of the P20 billion cash grants released from January to October this year, P10.3 billion was for health of mothers and children beneficiaries.  ###