Since 2006 until today, the VPHCS has been developing community-based health programs together with partner farmers’ organizations in four municipalities in Bohol. The project is funded by the Action Solidarité Tiers Monde (ASTM) in Luxembourg.

The project sites include barangays La Hacienda and Cagongcagong in the municipality of Alicia, with the Kahugpongan sa Aliciahanong Mag-uuma (KASALMA) (Association of Farmers in Alicia), barangays San Jose and Sta. Cruz in the municipality of Mabini, with the Hugpong sa mga Mag-uuma sa Mabini – HUMMABI (Association of Farmers in Mabini), in Pinayagan in the municipality of Tubigon with the Nagkahiusang Gagmay’ng Mangingisda sa Pinayagan Norte (Association of Small Fishermen in Pinayagan Norte) and barangays Duljo and Tangnan in the municipality of Panglao with the the Duljo Women’s Association.



The ASTM has been supporting the VPHCS in building CBHPs in Bohol since 2007, covering other municipalities including Trinidad, Ubay, Loon, Candijay, Inabanga, Bilar, Batuan and Dagohoy.

The project has developed the capability of the peasant organizations in the areas to respond to the health needs of their communities. In the face of the inaccessibility and inadequacy of government health services in these far-flung mountain barangays, the projects have greatly benefited the farmers, majority of whom are poor and could not afford medical care.

Health skills trainings for CHWs are conducted quarterly by the project in order to equip them with the basic knowledge and skills on health so that they can in turn render appropriate and needed services to their communities. Thus, trained CHWs take the leading role in rendering health education classes and launching health campaigns.



Health education classes are conducted regularly in the barangays of the four municipalities. They address the common health issues existing in the barangays, providing information to the residents to enable them to prevent illnesses and maintain health. The topics include the following, namely: nutrition, tuberculosis, family planning, hypertension, control of acute respiratory tract infections and control of diarrheal diseases in children, and environmental health, and other prevailing health problems and issues.

CHWs apply simple home remedies such as acupressure, herbal medicine, cupping therapy and essential Western medicines to treat common ailments. Herbal medicines such as lagundi, a bronchodilator and expectorant and ginger are commonly used.

Community-based nutrition programs are launched in the barangays to address the problem of protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) among preschoolers and promote healthy food practices among their families.



Case finding of tuberculosis symptomatic is also done by the CHWs who refer the patients to the government health centers for sputum examination and proper treatment.
Children’s health is also given importance in the CBHPs. The basic concepts of control of acute respiratory infections are taught to mothers to differentiate simple cough and colds that needed mere home remedies from pneumonia which had to be referred to the health centers for treatment. The problem and control of diarrheal diseases is also attended to with the use of oral rehydration therapy and proper disposal of wastes and use of safe water.

The CHWs also address problems of hypertension through health education on healthy lifestyle and avoidance of risk factors such as smoking, alcoholic beverage drinking, stress reduction, and high-salt and high-fat diet. Residents with hypertension identifed by the CHWs are also encouraged to take herbal medicine such as garlic that has been proven to be anti-hypertensive; those who do not respond to the herbal medicine are advised to seek medical attention.

Reproductive health among women and the youth are also a project concern. Sexual and reproductive health rights such as the rights to life, health care, liberty, information and education, to choose whether or not to marry and to found and plan a family, and to decide whether or when to have children are discussed in the communities. Information on the different forms of birth control is also disseminated for mothers who want to limit their number of children.
Volunteer health professionals and students have also extended services to the communities which augmented the continuing services rendered by the CHWs and upgraded their skills. Regular medical and dental missions are also held at least four times a year in the communities and circumcision services are also a common event in the summer time.

In general, the project has noted improvement in the health practices of the residents such as nutritional practices, hygiene and sanitation, early health seeking behavior with the CHWs as the first persons to seek consultation, use of home remedies such as water therapy, herbal medicine and common essential Western medicines for common complaints, and enhanced health awareness of the prevention and control of prevalent diseases in the communities.