KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato — For Michelle Cael, being a health navigator of the Provincial Government of South Cotabato is more than receiving an honorarium—it is about making sure families in her assigned community get the assistance they need when accessing healthcare services.
Cael, a health navigator from Purok Avanceña, City of Koronadal and president of their health navigator group, said her responsibility extends beyond monitoring households. She regularly assesses the needs of families under her care and assists residents who need to seek medical attention, including accompanying them to the hospital and helping process necessary billing documents.
“Indi lang kami naga-hulat sang honorarium. May responsibilidad kami nga ginatuman, labi na sa pag-assess sang household nga amon gina-serve kag pagbulig sa ila kon kinahanglan nila magkadto sa hospital,” Cael said.
She added that navigating the healthcare system can be challenging for some residents, particularly those who are unfamiliar with hospital procedures and requirements. As a health navigator, she helps bridge this gap by guiding beneficiaries through the necessary processes and coordinating with concerned offices when needed.
“Kon may pasyente nga kinahanglan magpaospital, ginabuligan namon sila sa proseso kag sa mga papeles, pati na ang billing. Importante nga may ara sila sang tawo nga magtultol kag magbulig sa ila,” she said.
Cael said the experience has also strengthened her commitment to community service, as she sees firsthand the needs of families and the difference that timely assistance can make.
As one of the community-based health workers supported by the provincial government, Cael continues to perform her duties not simply as an obligation but as a commitment to help make healthcare services more accessible to the people she serves.
Meanwhile, Barangay Affairs Unit Chief, Dennis C. Dignadice, said the family health navigators are encouraged to perform their function to ensure that they would be paid for their work.
“The governor told them the pay-out will be released as soon as the fund is ready. If there delays in the distribution of honorarium, maghulat lang gid kay maabot gid na,” Dignadice said in an interview.
The Barangay Affairs Unit (BAU) was tasked to identify the family health navigators while their roles and responsibilities will be looked over by the Office of the Provincial Health Officer (OPHO). Each family health navigator holds at least 20-25 families to ensure the families avail of the various health services of the provincial government.
Their mandate is to navigate the health status of the households assigned to them. These navigators are instrumental in accumulating health data needed by the health sector.
At present, the provincial government targets 10, 800 navigators, but based on the record, OPHO recorded 9, 687.
“The governor told us to complete the number of navigators to guarantee that no family is left behind,” Dignadice stressed out.
South Cotabato ontinues to bring healthcare services closer to communities through the Family Health Navigator Program, a flagship initiative designed to strengthen grassroots health monitoring and preventive care.
