KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato — The Barangay Affairs Unit (BAU) under the Office of the Provincial Governor (OPG) continues to strengthen grassroots governance and public service delivery through its network of community organizers and health navigators deployed across the province.
The BAU serves as the link between the provincial government and barangays in terms of coordination, facilitation, and communication.
BAU Executive Assistant Dennis Dignadice said the office currently has 89 community organizers assigned across South Cotabato. He added that each organizer handles an average of two to three barangays, depending on population size and geographical coverage.
“We serve as the bridge between the provincial government and the barangays to ensure that programs and services reach communities efficiently and effectively,” Dignadice said.
The office also assists the Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) in implementing the Provincial Family Health Navigators (PFHN) program, which currently has 8,837 health navigators provincewide.
Under the program, one navigator is assigned to monitor 20 households within their respective purok to ensure close coordination and regular health monitoring among families.
“Our health navigators play a vital role in monitoring families at the grassroots level and guiding them on health concerns and services,” Dignadice added.
Health navigators are required to be residents of the purok where they are assigned and must be able to read and write. Senior citizens are discouraged from applying due to the physical demands of the work.
The province currently records an average of 20 to 30 navigators per barangay. Each navigator receives a monthly honorarium of P500 from the provincial government.
Furthermore, Dignadice said the provincial government aims to increase the number of beneficiaries under the program to 10,800 by 2026 as part of preparations for the implementation of universal healthcare.
Provincial officials emphasized that strengthening barangay-based programs remains essential in improving access to government services and healthcare in communities.
The Provincial Government of South Cotabato, under the leadership of Governor Reynaldo Tamayo Jr., continues to strengthen barangay-based programs aimed at improving healthcare monitoring, community coordination, and the delivery of essential services to families at the grassroots level across the province.
