Taguig to improve healthcare services to residents

MANILA, Philippines—Soon, residents of Taguig City will enjoy healthcare and other social services tailored to their individual needs, according to the city government, which is assessing the needs of its 600,000-strong population.

Taguig Mayor Lani Cayetano ordered the full implementation of the Taguig City Integrated Survey System (TCISS), which will collect data from residents such as basic demographic information, income sources and health conditions.

“Through this system, we can easily identify the health, medical and other needs of Taguigeños as part of my social contract with the people to promote their welfare and improve their lives,” Cayetano said in a statement.

She added that staff from the city government would make house visits to gather the information needed for all residents. A total of 300 questions, divided into three parts, will be asked of all the households in the city.

Cayetano said that the data could be used to determine the medicines needed for different types of sickness prevailing in the city and provide specific assistance to disabled people and care for senior citizens.

“With this new survey system, I am hopeful that our delivery of basic services to Taguig residents will greatly improve,” she said.

The city government noted that a limited implementation of the survey in November 2010 has already yielded results, such as the distribution of two weeks’ worth of medicines to residents with ailments but have been too poor to buy medicines.

“During the initial stage of implementation, we were able to obtain accurate information relevant in delivering services to Taguigeños. The program also served as a guide toward the efficient and effective management of the city’s resources,” Cayetano said.

Other programs that benefited from the initial survey include the city government scholarships; medicine distribution for asthma, hypertension and diabetes; and distribution of wheelchairs, crutches and walking canes for disabled residents.

For his part, city government spokesperson Darwin Icay said the value of the information would go beyond basic social services.

“Since the survey covers all the households in the city, the information gives a true graphical picture of the status of the constituents. With the data, the city government would have a very good basis for development and action planning,” he said in a statement.

Icay added that the data would also correct inaccuracies in past city surveys.

Data from the 2007 Census of Population of the National Statistics Office show that Taguig has a total population of 613,343 and households totaling 136,942.