Early mornings, long boat rides, and hot and humid days – this is the typical scenario when traveling to Agutaya, one of the hardest-to-reach group of islands in Palawan, Philippines. Though the villages are separated by sea, people are never strangers. All happily greet each other as they gather at the local health center to avail of their contraceptive of choice during an outreach mission led by Roots of Health
13
Oct 2020
Reproductive Health in Disasters
A disaster can make people forget about existing problems, but it doesn’t make them disappear. In fact, a disaster is more likely to worsen existing inequalities and vulnerabilities. In celebration of International Day for Disaster Reduction, Roots of Health takes a stand for reproductive health services. Birth control, prenatal care, and HIV testing and treatment remain essential as we build disaster-resilient communities, and especially more so in immediate disaster response.
Almost 200,000 Filipino teenage girls get pregnant every year. Here’s why that’s a problem. by Alicia di Giovanni | Photo: Isabel Corthier When 16-year-old Tina’s* water broke, it was the last thing the ninth grader expected to happen in her high school campus, just a few miles away from the city center. She had thought that she was only seven months pregnant. Because she’d never had an ultrasound, she had
05
Nov 2015
Buntis in Balabac
This October Roots of Health began a partnership with the Philippine Navy to provide services to remote island communities. For the first mission we traveled to Balabac, an island off the southern tip of Palawan. The mission was physically grueling but well worth it as we have changed the lives of many women there.
11
Sep 2015
Why Are Filipinos So Short
This week, Save the Children released a new report suggesting that Filipino ‘shortness’ isn’t just a natural genetic trait of Filipinos, but rather is due to generations of maternal and child malnutrition. Undernourished mothers give birth to undernourished children.
04
Mar 2013
How To Save a Life
When our midwife was alerted to an issue with a newborn's cord, she soon discovered that it was not the newborn that was in need to critical medical attention, but the mother.
We are featured in the October issue of Town and Country! Love that the article focuses on our first client, Lyn-Lyn Paliza becoming our Assistant Director.
11
Oct 2012
Roots of Health Featured on Catapult
Roots of Health will be featured on Catapult, the first online funding platform dedicated to advancing the lives of girls and women worldwide. Roots of Health’s work is being highlighted by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s Family Health Division Director.
25
Aug 2012
Why Our Work Matters [video]
We believe that providing women and girls with information and access to family planning methods allows them to secure a sustainable future for themselves and their families. Watch this short video to see the impact of our efforts.
We asked some of Palawan’s underserved and lower-income women why the RH Bill is important to them. We wanted their opinions included in the debates since they will be directly impacted by the passage of the Bill.
