A mother and her baby waiting for a medical consultation at the hospital
In collaboration with Abra de Ilog Hospital on Occidental Mindoro Island,
Heart-Heart Foundation Philippines is carrying out various initiatives to improve access to healthcare and promote the health rights of Mangyan women.
By supporting timely access to essential maternal health services throughout pregnancy and childbirth,
the project helps ensure that women can deliver their babies in a safer and healthier environment.
A Mangyan mother arriving at the hospital through the emergency transport service
Many Mangyan communities in the area live in remote mountainous regions far from healthcare facilities. Due to geographical barriers,
as well as challenging economic and social conditions, access to medical services remains limited.
As a result, home births are still common, often exposing mothers and newborns to unhygienic conditions.
In addition, high-risk pregnancies may go untreated or fail to receive timely medical care,
increasing the risk of complications during pregnancy and childbirth.
To help address these challenges, Heart-Heart Foundation provides prenatal and postnatal care services for Mangyan mothers,
including transportation support for visits to healthcare facilities.
The Foundation also operates an emergency transport service so that mothers can receive medical care quickly when emergencies arise,
helping them give birth more safely.
A Mangyan mother undergoing a medical examination
As a result of these efforts, Abra de Ilog Hospital, the project’s partner hospital,
was officially recognized as a Mangyan-Friendly Hospital by the Provincial Government of Mindoro.
Building on this achievement, several new approaches were piloted this year to further strengthen support for Mangyan mothers.
In particular, improvements were introduced to help reduce the challenges and inconveniences that Mangyan mothers often face
when accessing healthcare services, allowing them to receive the care they need more quickly.
Through these efforts, the project aimed to provide more responsive and effective support to mothers
who continue to face social and geographical barriers to healthcare.
Separate waiting lines for Indigenous and non-Indigenous patients
First, to help Mangyan mothers receive medical care more quickly, separate service lanes were introduced for Mangyan and non-Mangyan patients (IP/non-IP).
This helped create a more convenient and accessible experience for Mangyan mothers when visiting the hospital.
Heart-Heart Foundation and hospital staff assisting patients with registration
In addition, healthcare workers and Heart-Heart Foundation staff provide dedicated support to Mangyan mothers throughout their healthcare journey.
By offering guidance, counseling, and assistance with hospital referrals,
they help ensure that mothers receive the care and support they need without missing out on essential services.
A mother reviewing educational materials / Mothers participating in a Mother’s Class while waiting for their appointments
But there was more. While mothers waited for their turn at the hospital, the project turned waiting time into learning time.
Through the pilot Mother’s Class, expectant mothers received additional health education on topics such as healthy pregnancy, safe childbirth, and newborn care.
This allowed them to pick up valuable information in a comfortable and engaging setting.
A pregnant teenager receiving additional care and support as a high-risk mother
Teenage pregnancy is also not uncommon in these communities. Because adolescent mothers are still growing and developing,
both they and their babies face a higher risk of health complications during pregnancy and childbirth.
To provide the care they need, pregnant teenagers were identified as a separate group and received closer monitoring and support.
This allowed for more tailored and systematic prenatal and postnatal care throughout their pregnancy journey.
Maternal health services being provided at Abra de Ilog Hospital
Through these strengthened services, Mangyan mothers are able to access the prenatal care
they need at the right time and experience safer pregnancies and childbirth.
Beyond supporting individual mothers and babies, these efforts help create a healthier start for families
and contribute to building a brighter and healthier future for the Mangyan community.
A mother waiting for her medical consultation
We hope that this pilot initiative will bring meaningful change to the lives of Mangyan mothers and help more mothers
and babies begin their journeys in good health.
We also hope that its benefits will continue to reach the wider Mangyan community.
Thank you for your continued support and encouragement as we move forward together.
Heart-Heart Foundation Philippines is implementing a maternal and child health project for the Mangyan community in Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro (2024–2026) with support from KOICA‘s Civil Society Partnership Program.
