74 Candelaria and Bantay Kalusugan Pampamayanan
they implemented, as well as their aspirations in the near future, despite being
negatively affected by the pandemic.
Brief history of BKP
The Bantay Kalusugang Pampamayanan traces its roots to the relocation of urban
poor communities from Metro Manila to a relocation site in the City of San Jose del
Monte, Bulacan Province in 2012 (Atacador 2018). Marivic Atacador1 mentioned
that CAMP Asia, Inc.2 later arrived in their area for their community work. Through
a partnership with CAMP Asia, the community was able to establish a health clinic
in Barangay Gaya-gaya in 2013. Aside from the clinic, an emergency transport system
(ETS) was also set up as a component of the health project spearheaded by CAMP
Asia. The health programs, however, were closed due to the lack of funding in 2015
(ibid.). Attempts to revive the clinic as a social enterprise, however, failed. Eventually,
the health program in Gaya-gaya was rescued by CAMP Asia, but the clinic remained
closed.
In 2016, the health program in Minuyan was launched, and the clinic was
reopened. The clinic continued its operations with funding support from the
Minuyan health project (ibid.). Eventually, the Gaya-gaya health project entered into
a partnership with the Bulacan State University (BulSU) for capacity building of
health educators. Aside from the capacity building program, Al Obre3 (2018) shared
that it was followed by the organizing of a training program for teachers which was
coordinated with BulSU and the Seoul National University (SNU).
In 2017, aside from catering to the health needs of the community through
the clinic, organization of health volunteers also contributed in terms of awareness
building. The funding for the health program is due to end by 2018 (Atacador 2018).
Knowing this reality, “BKP tried to become eventually independent and maintain
a “sustainable healthcare program through their own organizing efforts” (BKP
2020, 75). On June 30, 2018, BKP was formally launched as a community health
organization (Atacador 2018). Starting with 88 members, the BKP now has more
than a thousand members within the community (BKP 2020). The structure of the
BKP had the following committees: health, monitoring, health education, rescuers,
and an ad hoc committee acting as the secretariat.
1 Ms. Atacador is a resident of Towerville in the City of San Jose del Monte, Bulacan and the
president of the BKP.
2 According to its official website, “CAMP Asia is an international development NGO that builds
sustainable and viable community though our projects (social enterprise, education, health
care, agriculture, energy & eco-friendly) in Towerville, San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan, and
agricultural area of ethnic group, San Jose municipality, Tarlac” (CAMP Asia, Inc. n.d.).
3 Mr. Al Obre works at CAMP Asia as a program manager.
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