Halfway opening ceremony
Heart-to-Heart Foundation Philippine held an opening ceremony for the Mangyan-Friendly Halfway on December 5, 2024
Mangyan mostly reside in mountainous areas.
They require the space where they could wait before giving birth at a hospital.
However, there was no Halfway in the project area (Abra de Ilog).
Mangyan-friendly Halfway is the space for Mangyan pregnant women
to come down to the city 2-3 weeks before the due date to prepare for a safe birth.
Main key figures of opening ceremony
Many key figures from Korea and Philippines, including KOICA Philippine office,
Heart-to-Heart Foundation headquarters, and the Occidental Mindoro provincial and city governments,
were attended for the opening ceremony of the Mangyan-friendly Halfway.
Hospital director Dr. Arlene Espiritu, in her welcome speech, stated,
“With the support of many, the Mangyan-friendly Halfway has been established. This facility will allow Mangyan mothers,
who primarily give birth at home, to deliver their babies safely in a hospital.
I extend my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who participated in the opening ceremony.”
Arirang performance by Mangyan students
The event began with a welcome speech, followed by congratulatory remarks from Mr. Kim Eunsub,
Director of the KOICA Philippine Office, and Ms. Moon Hujeong, Head of the International Projects Division at Heart-to-Heart Foundation.
This was followed by the presentation of appreciation plaques and a special performance of "Arirang" prepared by Mangyan students.
In his congratulatory remarks, Mr. Kim Eunsub, Director of the KOICA Philippine Office, stated,
“I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the Heart-to-Heart Foundation Philippine and the Abra de Ilog Hospital for their dedication to making this moving performance by the Mangyan students and the opening ceremony possible. On behalf of KOICA, I also thank the provincial and city governments for their active cooperation in establishing the Mangyan-friednly Halfway. I hope this facility will serve as a warm and hopeful place for Mangyan women and children.” |
Following this, the IP Mangyan leader expressed gratitude, saying,
“We thank KOICA and the Heart-to-Heart Foundation for establishing and caring for this space for Mangyan women and children. We hope that many Mangyan mothers will be able to give birth healthily at the Halfway in the future.” |
Te opening ceremony concluded with a tour and introduction of the Mangyan-friendly Halfway and the delivery room.
Facility tour
In the future, the Mangyan-friendly Halfway will not only serve as a space for Mangyan mothers to wait for childbirth
but will also provide postpartum care, allowing mothers to stay for a period after delivery to recover their health.
During the postpartum care period, mothers will receive support in learning about newborn umbilical cord care,
maternal health management, newborn and infant care, nutrition education, and breastfeeding knowledge at the hospital.
Heart-to-Heart Foundation Philippine supports Mangyan-friendly maternal and child health services
and is dedicated to promoting the rights of the Mangyan people.
We kindly ask for your continued attention and support in the future!
Heart-to-Heart Foundation Philippine is currently implementing the "Mangyan Rights Promotion Project through Maternal and Child Health Strengthening in Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro" (2024-2026) as part of the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) Civil Society Cooperation Program.
