Eager to extend their expertise on health to communities, the College of Nursing faculty held four extension activities in four separate locations. This is part of the community outreach program for the 59th founding anniversary of the University of Northern Philippines.

The first one was titled “Health and Wellness for All: A Health Education of Mothers in Proper Food Preparation & Training of Children on Basic Hand and Oral Hygiene cum Maintenance of Herbal Garden” in Napo, Sto. Domingo Ilocos Sur.

Nine daycare students were taught and shown how to do proper handwashing and good oral hygiene. Faculty members Fe T. Tuzon and Marjorie F. Joven led the event. Additionally, food preparation practices and the revitalization of the herbal garden were led by faculty members Loraine R. Ramos and Gerardo F. Joven. With them were Brgy. Capt. Candido Quinto and child development worker Roshelle A. Tactay.

Meanwhile, in San Julian, Bantay, the activity was titled “Nurture Life: Participation in Blood Letting, Tree Planting, and IEC Material Utilization on Hypertension and Post Blood Donation Care,” made possible with the cooperation of the KAWANIS group.

The extension activity aims to promote health and wellness through blood donation, raise hypertension awareness, and ensure post-donation care while fostering environmental conservation through tree planting.

The extension activity began with bloodletting, where criminology students participated as blood donors. Faculty members April Ann F. Flores and Laurence A. Adena, along with nursing students, assisted in taking vital signs, and flyers about the advantages of blood donation and what to do before and after were distributed.

Also, a simultaneous lecture on understanding hypertension was facilitated by professors Edna R. Javier and Epifania Marlene R. Purisima. The lecture covered key signs and symptoms such as headaches and dizziness, as well as prevention strategies like a healthy diet and regular exercise and management techniques including lifestyle modifications and medication adherence.

As part of its ongoing commitment to community engagement and environmental sustainability, tree-planting was also done, led by professors Claudine Cecilia H. Almachar and Marichu N. Umayam.

In addition, Care Project-Kired Pakinakem (Psychological Wellness) Training on Stress Management among Women and a Lecture on Anti-Stigma of Persons with Disabilities cum Nutritional Feeding was also held in Shelterville, Vigan City.

Twenty-three beneficiaries for the discussion and lecture on stress management and its interventions, as well as on the anti-stigma on Persons with Disabilities (PWD). Together with the feeding program activity, 26 children participated in nutritional feeding.

Lectures by faculty members Mark Allan Verina, Christine Therese Tejada, and Richmond Audrey Cortez dealt with stress management, interventions for minimizing exposure to stress, and anti-stigma among persons with disabilities (PWD). A masseuse and a masseur were also invited to discuss and share simple ways of doing relaxation massage. A feeding activity was initiated.

Lastly, training on proper breastfeeding techniques and health education on breast cancer prevention was also done. Aside from the CN faculty and students, Mayor Edgar Rapanut and Municipal Health Officer Mary Christine Villar were also present.

Faculty members Fritchy Forneas, Mary Juli-An Taylor, and Rhea Golden Savella discussed proper breastfeeding techniques, breast self-examination, and breast cancer prevention, respectively.

Article by Hyacinth P. Feliciano, Judilyn R. Tabin, Cathlene Joy De Guzman, and Joyreina Refuerzo Ragasa.