ASOG attends Department of Health media conference in celebration of No Smoking Month

The Ateneo School of Government (ASOG), through the Ateneo Policy Center (APC), attended the recently concluded media conference “Engaging Media for Health Literacy” last 13 to 15 June 2024 in Subic, Olongapo City. The event was organized by the Department of Health’s (DOH) Health Promotion Bureau–Media and External Relations Division (HPB-MERD). 

The media conference is dedicated to providing key members of the media with crucial information and key messages on various topics categorized across the conference. Media members included ABS-CBN, Rappler, Manila Times, Business World, Inquirer, TV5, Daily Tribune, and more.

Day 1: DOH 8-Point Action Agenda And Epidemiology 101

The first day of the event commenced with opening remarks by Dir. Rodley Desmon Daniel Carza of DOH-HPB. Dr. Adriel Pizarra, Medical Officer of the Health Policy Development and Planning Bureau, followed up with a presentation on the 8-point Action Agenda of the DOH. This was followed by a session by Ms. Faith Caitlyn Valdez, Supervising Health Promotion Officer of the Epidemiology Bureau, on the technical fundamentals of epidemiology. 

Day 2: No Smoking Month, “Protektahan Ang Kabataang Pilipino Laban Sa Panganib Ng Tabako At Vape."

​​The second day of the event is dedicated to providing the invited media with crucial information and key messages on smoking and vaping, aligned with the No Smoking Month theme "Protektahan ang Kabataang Pilipino laban sa panganib ng tabako at vape." The focus was on providing a platform for interactive discussions on tobacco control and for the media to gather important insights for their communication efforts.

Sam Ackary, a representative of the Tobacco Control and Governance (TCG) team of APC, served as a resource speaker for the media forum. She presented key highlights and takeaways from the TCG team’s recent papers on flavor characterization of tobacco products, e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products, and novel tobacco products.

Other partners in the tobacco control civil society sector—including ASH Philippines, Action for Economic Reforms, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, and Vital Strategies—served as resource speakers for the event as well. Other government agencies, bureaus, and departments, including the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, the Disease Prevention and Control Bureau of the DOH, and the Department of Education, offered key insights and program overviews for multi-stakeholder strategies toward strengthening the tobacco control landscape in the country. 

Day 3: Dengue Prevention And Control Management & Disease Preparedness And Management

The third day took on a half-day problem, beginning promptly with a session by Dr. Kim Patrick Tejano, Medical Officer of the Disease Prevention and Control Bureau (DPCB), who provided an overview of the DPCB’s dengue prevention and control program. Ms. Naomigyle Kammil Ontanillas, senior health program officer of the Health Emergency Management Bureau, provided a comprehensive overview of the HEMB’s various programs for disaster preparedness and management. The day ended with closing remarks from Director Rodley Desmon Daniel Carza of DOH-HPB.