by Dani G. Ortega, CON
A long-running extension project of the College of Nursing (CON) won the Best Extension Project Award under Cluster B of the September 15, 2020 MSU-IIT 2nd In-House Review of Extension Programs that was held via Google Meet.
The CON will receive P10,000 as cash prize for their winning extension project entitled “’Sagip-Piitan’ Health Care Initiative: Health Lecture Series and Hygiene Kit Project,” a project that addresses health issues in the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) inmates of Iligan City.
Sagip Piitan, which was also awarded a 1,000-Peso consolation prize in the in-house review’s Poster Category, aims to provide inmates with knowledge about disease prevention and basic human needs to help promote physical health as well as psychosocial health.
The In-House Review of Extension Programs seeks to: (1) assess the quality and impact of extension projects/programs of the Institute in its alignment with the WE CARE framework and its contribution to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals; (2) recognize and make visible the extension practices that work in different partner communities; and (3) provide a space for sharing knowledge, experiences, and expertise in crafting and implementing extension projects and programs.
CON faculty member Asst. Prof. Karen R. Veloso presented the Sagip Piitan extension project for the college during the competition.
On behalf of the CON, Asst. Prof. Veloso expressed thanks to MSU-IIT and the following project partners for their support: BJMP, Road to Serenity Retreat House, MSU-IIT Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension, MSU-IIT Department of Extension, MSU-IIT Institute for Peace and Development in Mindanao, MSU-IIT Institute Clinic, City Health Office, Iligan Dental Association, and Amrhiel Pharmacy.
The Sagip Piitan project is headed and implemented by the previous and current Deans of CON – Assoc. Prof. Clowe D. Jondonero, Assoc. Prof. Roselyn M. Butalid, and Dr. Minnie B. Mamauag.
It is also implemented with the help of the CON’s Research and Extension Committee composed of Dr. Mae-Lanie O. Poblete, Asst. Prof. Leah P. Madjus, Assoc. Prof. Jiddo Andrei G. Maranda, Asst. Prof. Rambe C. Ramil, Jr., and Asst. Prof. Neil M. Martin. Other CON faculty and staff members, as well as students, also helped in the project’s implementation.
CON’s current Research and Extension Committee head Dr. Poblete said that the Sagip Piitan project has been around since 2014, with the help of its partner community, and has been conducting activities on a yearly basis.
The CON also entered in the Category A of the in-house review of extension programs another extension project entitled, “ ‘Senior Citizen sa Barangay, Malipayon ug Himsog sa Kanunay’: A Community-Based Senior Citizen Day Care Program in Iligan City. “
This project aims to empower senior citizens in improving their quality of life and to enhance their knowledge, skills, and attitude through a community-based daycare center that will address concerns and issues in all aspects of life: physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual.
This project was conducted by Dr. Abdullah Junior S. Mangarun along with Dr. Poblete, Dr. Mamauag, Elvie A. Paler, MAN, RN, Bernie A. Casera, MAN, RN, and Harold L. Chua.
Although the team did not win, Dr. Mangarun said they were happy to participate in the in-house review of extension programs, saying it was a “special privilege.”
*The writer, Dani G. Ortega, is a registered nurse who is currently a lecturer at the College of Nursing. He formerly served as a senior medic of the operations staff of the Emergency Medical Services under the Iligan City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.