Health department launches program to train indigenous people in Rizal as health workers

It’s no secret that healthcare is not easily accessible for many of the country’s citizens, especially those living in far-flung areas. Hence, the Department of Health (DOH) said it was looking to train indigenous people as health workers in order to serve their communities better.

The health department signed an agreement with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples and officials in the town of Tanay in Rizal province to launch a program that will train members of their indigenous communities as “Katutubo (native) Health Workers.”

DOH aims to train KHWs to serve the people of the Dumagat-Remontado tribe, who mostly live in forests of the Sierra Mountain range, and teach them disease surveillance skills and how to conduct health education activities in their local community.

The health department said that the program aims to “bridge the gap among the underserved and unserved population to promote better health outcomes.”