Dr. Rochelle Gajete-Oco, the head of the city government’s Occupational Safety and Health Compliance Office (OSHCO), showed Vice Mayor Rosalita Nuñez, who also rendered a message of support for the implementation of the "Healthy Heneral: Kampeon ng Kalusugan" program, the various component areas under the DOLE, and the DOH that the program will prioritize to adopt and strengthen in the workplaces in General Santos City. (Photo courtesy of the General Santos City Public Information Office)
GENERAL SANTOS CITY (PIA) -- The city government’s Occupational Safety and Health Compliance Office (OSHCO) is urging the business community to promote occupational safety and champion healthier behavior among their employees in a bid to reinforce workplace health.
Dr. Rochelle Gajete-Oco, OSHCO head, pointed out that business establishments can help achieve the government's goal by providing their employees with the necessary mechanisms and avenues to observe and practice a healthy outlook that also impacts mental health and workplace productivity.
The city government of General Santos has recently made a significant move towards advancing workplace health with the launch of the "Healthy Heneral: Kampeon ng Kalusugan" (Healthy Generals: Champion for Health) program, the first in the Soccsksargen region, with some 50 large companies in the city expressing support.
“The program aims to strengthen the ties between occupational safety and health, human and economic benefits, inclusive economic growth, and business productivity, leading to the strategic achievement of the sustainable development goals,” Gajete-Oco explained.
She also described the program as largely in support of the Department of Labor and Employment's (DOLE) Family Welfare Program (FWP) in workplaces and the Department of Health's ‘Healthy Workplaces’ initiative.
The City Health Office's health education and promotion officer, Dioscoro Nuñez (5th from right, front row), who is also the "Healthy Heneral" project manager, reminded General Santos City residents, particularly those in the workplaces, that the government will always promote healthy behavior and practices among people in general, but taking care of and maintaining one's health is essentially a judgment call. (Photo courtesy of the General Santos City Public Information Office)
“Healthy Heneral” project manager Dioscoro Nuñez, the health education and promotion officer of the City Health Office (CHO), also underscored the importance of prioritizing employees’ health to maintain a productive workforce crucial for sustaining economic growth.
He pointed out the direct link between an employee's health and performance, emphasizing that healthier employees excel in their jobs and have improved overall productivity.
“Ang focus nito is health education and promotions at workplaces. Gusto kasi natin ma-emphasize na ang kalusugan ng bawat Heneral ay nasa kanilang mga kamay, especially ‘yung mga tao na nasa workplaces,” he explained during a recent interview via the Philippine Information Agency’s Rated PIA radio program broadcast over dxGS radio station and livestreamed on PIA regional and provincial Facebook pages.
[Its main focus is on workplace health promotion and education. We wish to remind everyone, particularly in the workplace, that maintaining their health is essentially up to them.]
Nuñez also highlighted the significance of collaboration with developmental partners such as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which provided assistance in the launch of the “Healthy Heneral” project, including other health service providers such as the Family Planning Organization of the Philippines.
He said the term “heneral (general)” is a moniker for the residents of General Santos City.
The General Santos City OSHCO has formed a strong collaborative partnership not only with private companies but also with the USAID-funded ReachHealth Project and non-governmental organizations like the Family Planning of the Philippines, including tertiary-level hospitals like St. Elizabeth Hospital, among others that serve as health providers to the residents of General Santos City. (Photo courtesy of the General Santos City Public Information Office)
Expressing its commitment to supporting the city government’s enhancement of the FWP implementation in the workplace through the "Healthy Heneral" program, USAID’s ReachHealth Project hailed the OSHCO for championing the health and welfare of the employees in the workplaces, specifically family planning and reproductive health, in the identified 157 workplaces in the city.
According to the USAID ReachHealth Project, the “Healthy Heneral” serves as a “cornerstone” to back the DOH’s Promotion Framework Strategy 2030 and strengthen the institutionalization of the DOLE-FWP’s family planning and reproductive health in private establishments.
“Sa ngayon ino-open namin ang program nato sa 157 businesses or workplaces na na-identify namin sa pamamagitan ng Gensan Health at Work, 'yung LGP (Laking Ginhawa sa Philhealth) Konsulta na project,” Nuñez told the Philippine Information Agency.
[Right now, we are opening this program to the 157 businesses or workplaces that we have identified through the GenSan Health at Work, or Laking Ginhawa sa Philhealth or LGP Konsulta project.]
He also stressed that although there are current laws concerning the FWP, most of the companies do not know what to do next due to a lack of health education; hence, the program will be a huge help in identifying the needs of their companies in terms of health.
Bryan Teng (in a green shirt), representing Greenleaf Hotel Management, and Christopher Peñales (in an orange shirt), program manager of the Family Planning of the Philippines Soccsksargen Chapter, signed a memorandum of understanding to highlight the partnership between a workplace and a health service provider. (Photo courtesy of the General Santos City Public Information Office)
Of the targeted 157 business establishments in the city, 50 major private companies have initially pledged to implement the programs in their respective work areas.
“Ang pinaka malaking benefit talaga ng maayos na health behaviors, or mas mataas na health literacy among the people, is unang-una malayo siya sa sakit. At kung malayo siya sa sakit, malayo siya sa gastos. ‘Pag malayo siya sa gastos makakaipon sila para sa kanilang family. So, itong ginagawa natin, hindi ito para sa amin as health officers, it’s ultimately para sa mga tao,” Nuñez went on to explain.
[The biggest benefit of having proper health behaviors, or higher health literacy among the people, is that they are far from getting sick. And when one is healthy, they won't be spending anything just to get better. Fewer or no expenses means saving more for the family. What we are doing isn't for us as health officers; it's ultimately for the welfare and best interests of the people.]
General Santos City boasts a workforce population of 383,478, with 53 percent employed across 784 companies, thereby demonstrating the city government's determination to prioritize the safety, health, and welfare of its labor force. (HJPF/CTApelacio - PIA SarGen)
