"Empowering The People"

Last night, during my "guesting" in a "talk show" during the annual Lasallian Leadership Training Seminar at the Santuario de la Salle, I was asked what challenge I would leave the young lasallian leaders on how they could participate in nation building. I told them that if there is one thing a leader must know how to do, that is he must know how to empower people around him. I always believed in education. Knowledge is power and once we share knowledge and teach and educate, we open so many opportunities and perhaps even endless possibilities to those we teach and educate. I know this because I have seen it right before my eyes, as a Doctor to the Barrio of the Department of Health.

It is important that in order for your "own ideas" to work, the community must be made to realize that it is not only "your idea" but also theirs. In fact, it is even better when the ideas come from them. Empowering the people is the key to nation building. Once empowered, they get involve. They lose their apathy and become participative. They become confident in their interaction because they are equipped with the knowledge and fueled by the inspiration which perhaps springs from the enthusiasm and idealism of the leader.

For example, at present, the Municipal Health Office is training a new set of Barangay Health workers. The week-long training includes so many health topics, particularly how to do disease surveillance, perform simple bedside tasks such as taking the BP and weight accurately, health programs and policies and so many other things.

Before I gave my own lecture, I conducted a census among the participants. Based on my data, 49% of the BHW trainees were between 40 to 50 years old, 90% were females and 46% were volunteers for the past 1 to 5 years prior to this formal training.

During the same census I asked them a series of questions about their perception of the role of a BHW based on their experience and knowledge. Based on their answers, 39% said that the FIRST job of a BHW is monitoring diseases in the community. 20% of them said that the SECOND next job of a BHW is helping attend to patients who are going to the health center. 37% said that the THIRD next job of a BHW is to help the midwife and nurse do her duties, including paper works and other office stuff. 29% of them said that the FOURTH next job of a BHW is to clean the health center. 20% of them said that the FIFTH next job of a BHW is to prepare and cook for guests and health staff.

Today these new trainees, around 45 of them, will be graduating and will be receiving their official certificate of training. They can now work effectively considering that they are now equipped with skills and knowledge which they need as community volunteers.





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