Jobs at Roots of Health

Roots of Health Executive Director Ami Evangelista-Swanepoel (2nd row, center) with the Roots of Health Team during the 15th year anniversary celebration in Puerto Princesa, City. As I reflect on the past 15 years with Roots of Health, I am filled with pride and gratitude for the incredible impact we’ve made in Palawan. What started as a dream has blossomed into something truly transformative. We’ve empowered women and young people, […]

Ugat ng Kalusugan is seeking an Operations Director who will be responsible for overseeing the organization’s operations, which include Human Resources, Administration, IT, Procurement, and other operations-related functions. This role will ensure smooth day-to-day operations and implement strategies to enhance organizational efficiency. The Operations Director will work closely with the Executive Team and department heads to align operational functions with organizational goals, ensuring compliance with policies and regulatory standards. This […]

Ugat ng Kalusugan is seeking a Partnerships Director who will be reporting directly to the Executive Director. The Partnerships Director will play a critical role in leading the organization’s expansion and scaling efforts. This includes identifying and cultivating partnerships with key stakeholders, such as Local Government Units (LGUs), corporations, funders, and civil society organizations, to support and expand the organization’s mission and programs. The Partnerships Director will be instrumental in […]

Roots of Health is seeking a Finance Assistant. Reporting to the Finance Manager, the Finance Assistant is responsible for helping manage the organization’s finances. This includes tracking expenses, handling cash, and ensuring accurate cash flow records. The role also involves compliance with tax regulations and maintaining organized financial documents for audits and reports. Responsibilities Fund Liquidation and Reimbursements – Assist program staff with liquidating cash advances and processing reimbursements for […]

Atty. Lorna Kapunan was right to enlighten Senator Robin Padilla on marital consent during the recent Senate hearing on sexual harassment, stressing that both spouses have the right to refuse sex, even within marriage.  While this may seem like common sense, many Filipinos share Senator Padilla’s view as shown by our analysis of the 2021 Young Fertility and Sexuality Study (YAFS5) by the University of the Philippines Population Institute. Over […]

Roots of Health is seeking a Communications Officer who will assist our Media Manager in boosting our online and offline media presence. The Communications Officer will help create and implement communications strategies that contribute to improving the impact of the organization’s work, increase its profile, and raise public awareness on its sexual and reproductive health advocacies.  This is a full-time position in Puerto Princesa City with a two-month probation period. […]

Amina Evangelista-Swanepoel Published on Rappler,  July 29, 2024 In his 2024 SONA, President Marcos called public school teachers the foundation of our educational system and national learning recovery. He announced benefit packages and upskilling programs for teachers to improve Filipino learners’ literacy, problem-solving, and critical thinking. The President and newly-appointed Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sonny Angara must not forget teachers’ professional development in implementing comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) to […]

We’re Growing our Roots Together!  2023 was a year of growth for Roots of Health as we moved towards expanding our roots and going further in addressing systemic challenges related to teenage pregnancies and HIV! This was not an easy feat especially in the context of new government leaders, rising inflation and media misinformation. The best way of going about it was to have our stakeholders – government workers, teachers, […]

Puerto Princesa City; February 14, 2024 – Valentine’s Day took on a new dimension for students at Palawan National School as they delved into PAD-ibig Diaries, a groundbreaking initiative merging menstrual pads with illustrated diary entries to foster open dialogue about sex and relationships. Four hundred female students from grades 7 to 10 were treated to limited edition menstrual pads featuring vibrant diary entries about the female anatomy, puberty, crushes, […]

BUTUAN CITY, JANUARY 26, 2023 – Teachers from 27 public schools in Agusan del Norte, on Friday, participated in an orientation on adolescent sexuality and reproductive health at the Provincial Training Center in Butuan City. The session, conducted by implementers of the I CHOOSE #MalayaAkongMaging campaign, aimed to equip educators with the knowledge and tools to deliver comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) to students. The I CHOOSE campaign, national gold winner […]

We’re super grateful and humbled to receive two awards today from the Healthy Pilipinas Awards for Partners 2023! 🏆 Roots of Health bagged the Silver Award in Healthy Governance, Healthy Settings, and Health Literacy, for our work in reducing unplanned pregnancies and HIV cases in Palawan. With our partners USAID and the ReachHealth Project, we also won the Gold Award for the I Choose #MalayaAkongMaging campaign – which provides youth-centered […]

“If we can experience it, we can teach it!” This was the guiding principle embraced by our Youth Team during a series of learning sessions on mental health, facilitated by our Columbia University graduate Fellow, Aimary Rubio. Aimary, a master’s student in clinical psychology, said that the purpose of these sessions was to help our Youth Team explore various facets of what true mental well-being means and equip them with […]

Data science can dramatically improve public health outcomes. Through the years, Roots of Health has worked with local governments to help them become more data driven in crafting and implementing health programs. We recently helped train 39 health workers on the Field Health Services Information System (FHSIS) which records the scope and coverage of essential public health services. The FHSIS is a crucial part of the Philippines’s information network to […]

Puerto Princesa City, Tuesday, 7 February 2023 — Roots of Health (Ugat ng Kalusugan), a Palawan-based organization that provides educational and clinical services to women and young people, has called on government to allow adolescent access to family planning commodities and services. This, as the Senate held a committee hearing, Tuesday, on three bills that seek to prevent teen pregnancies in the country. Roots of Health Executive Director Amina Evangelista-Swanepoel, speaking […]

Help us empower and protect women and young people in the Philippines as we all work towards a #Stronger2023.

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 […]

Through ugatngkalusugan.org, women, young people, parents, teachers, and health care workers can access RH information and services in a more accessible language. by Romar Miranda March 25, 2022, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan—Roots of Health (ROH), a non-profit organization based in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, in partnership with the Embassy of Canada in the Philippines through the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives, recently launched its new Tagalog-language website. This is one […]

by Romar Miranda One fundamental truth about humanity is the idea that help will come no matter the disaster. A day after Typhoon Odette (international: Rai) ravaged central and northern Palawan, local communities were in shock because of the unprecedented damages to life and property caused by the typhoon, with a total estimate of more than P7.8 billion. With the local governments already stretched thin from managing the COVID-19 pandemic, […]

Diane Santos’* then partner advised her to jump a couple of times and drink plenty of water after sex to expel sperm. She did what she was told. Unexpectedly for her, however, she still got pregnant.  Diane was one of the 119 girls Roots of Health selected to participate in a research project to assess contextual factors associated with teen pregnancy in Palawan, Philippines. She was later on selected again […]

As our health systems continue the fight against COVID-19, young people remain vulnerable to increased reproductive health risks such as teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. Unfortunately, schools are still closed and we are still unable to reach young people through their classrooms. Despite limitations on physical movement, Roots of Health remains committed to providing high-quality, non-judgmental comprehensive sexuality education to young people. That’s why we recently launched our new […]

by Romar Miranda Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, PHILIPPINES―In an effort to help address the reproductive health disparities and vulnerabilities that women and young people face during the COVID-19 pandemic, Roots of Health (ROH), in partnership with WomenStrong International, is launching its Learning Product, “Communities, Contraceptives and COVID-19: Ensuring Continued Access to Reproductive Health Services in the New Normal” on Friday, July 9, 2021. The Learning Product was ROH’s brainchild after […]

by Justine Ang Fonte, Roots of Health Board Member Good afternoon, graduates, professors, and proud families. I am Justine Glo Ang Fonte, the daughter of Glorietta Zapata Ang of Bagabag, Nueva Vizcaya and Samuel Ang Fonte of Romblon, Romblon. Today is truly a celebration because here I am, Zooming in from Lenape Territory as a Filipina child of colonization, giving a speech to all of you, recipients of a graduate […]

by Lhen Hasal Schools are still closed due to COVID-19 restrictions, and young people are still unable to be on their campuses to learn and interact with their teachers and classmates. Because of this, our teachers are also unable to provide in-person reproductive health classes by hopping in a van, taking a boat ride, or even climbing uphill. But this doesn’t mean that students don’t need this information anymore. COVID-19 […]

COVID-19 created so many challenges to the work we do. But because the pandemic put more women and young people’s lives at risk, we knew we needed to make sure we could keep providing life-saving essential services, education, and stakeholder trainings. Thanks to our supporters, we managed to continue providing all this in 2020, and more. Here’s a quick recap of what we couldn’t have done without our passionate supporters […]

As we approach the holiday season, you can help change women’s lives and take a piece of the Philippines with you, wherever you are, through “#PinayPower: A Pre-Holiday Online Bazaar.”  Shop from any of our partner brands from November 6-12, and 20% of every purchase you make will directly support reproductive health programs, including free birth control, HIV testing, prenatal checkups and comprehensive sexuality education.  Here are five fabulous ways […]

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. […]

Can an internship from home still be fulfilling? A development studies senior shares her experience as a Roots of Health summer intern.

The only midwife in town could’ve been in high school with their mom. The pharmacist goes to the same church. Someone could be eavesdropping at the hospital and hear them asking about an HIV test. In places like Palawan, Philippines, where almost everyone knows everyone, young people often fear getting a pregnancy test, an HIV test, or contraceptives. To them, accessing services could mean other people finding out that they […]

Photo by Katherine Jack, August 2019 HIV did not disappear because of COVID-19. In fact, it could get even worse. We’re seeing more positive cases in our clinics since lockdown restrictions have eased up and more people can go out to get tested. Still, many people find it hard to access testing and treatment for HIV. Restrictions to movement of people and supplies are still in place. This could lead […]

Advocates, health care workers, educators, parents, and civil service organizations can learn a thing or two from how a small organization in Palawan changed thousands of women and young people’s lives. As a professor at Palawan State University, Susan Evangelista witnessed how her students dropped out of school after getting pregnant, usually unplanned. She saw, through her students, that unplanned pregnancies usually derailed young women from what would’ve been a […]

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 […]

Women and girls in Palawan are once again welcome to visit our clinic for free reproductive health services. Quarantine restrictions have eased up, and essential health facilities are now allowed to reopen. But we’re not letting our guards down. From the moment each of our clients show up at our door until they leave, we apply best practices to prevent COVID-19 from spreading. Each client needs to schedule an appointment […]

Joy* wanted to meet up in a hidden alley, a few blocks away from her home. Strangers passing by might wonder what sneaky business she’s up to, as a needle pokes into her arm and she breathes a sigh of relief. But she isn’t doing anything illegal—she’s just getting a birth control shot. Like Joy, many Filipina women and girls have to hide the fact that they use contraceptives. Their […]

Pulling out works all the time. Missing your period while on birth control is unhealthy because it keeps the dirty blood inside your body. Pap smears “clean” the uterus. Birth control pills cause cancer because the actual pills clog the ovaries. As outrageous as these may sound, many people still believe these myths. Wrong information about birth control, family planning and sexual and reproductive health is all too common in […]

Because of strict COVID-19 lockdown rules, women can’t even visit a health facility or pharmacy two blocks away to get birth control. Meanwhile, contraceptive supplies are dwindling in health facilities due to supply chain disruptions. This could lead to a surge in unplanned pregnancies. An unplanned pregnancy disrupts a woman’s life in so many ways—even more so during a pandemic of this magnitude. With little to no opportunities to work, […]

Having a baby when you want it, and are ready for it. This doesn’t sound like much to ask for, but growing up in the Philippines, Annabelle didn’t think she had these choices. Now she know better and educates her community on how they can improve their lives as well.

2018 was a year of continued growth for our organization. Even as we reached over 46,000 people with our clinical and educational services to prevent unplanned pregnancies, we are keenly aware of a growing threat to the lives of Filipinos—HIV.

Roots of Health is honored to receive a With and For Girls Award for our work improving access to reproductive health services and education for young people. The With and For Girls Awards is a global initiative which identifies and supports strong, local organisations working with and for girls. Today we announce 20 grassroots girl-led organisations that are being recognised and awarded for their work in tackling gender discrimination, inequality […]

We are happy to report that 2017 was our most impactful year to date. We would like to invite you to read about our successes, challenges and exciting developments in this year’s Annual Report. Thanks to our generous supporters, passionate staff and tireless partners, we were able to reach more of Palawan’s women, girls and young people than ever before. 2017 was a formative year that was full of growth and […]

Get an HIV test is the responsible thing to do. Know your status so that you can protect your health and the health of those you love. Here is a list of HIV testing centers in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.

We are happy to report that 2017 was our most impactful year to date. We would like to invite you to read about our successes, challenges and exciting developments in this year’s Annual Report.

Roots of Health is honored to receive a With and For Girls Award for our work improving access to reproductive health services and education for young people.

2016 was the year we significantly scaled-up our clinical services by conducting missions all over Palawan. We tripled the number of women that we reached in 2015. We also made a fundamental change to the Youth Advocate Program. Instead of only working with young people in our ten communities, we opened it up and now work with youth all over Puerto Princesa. The impact has been immediate and future looks promising.

Children as young as 12 can legally have sex. Until they are 18 if they want to access HIV testing or contraceptives they need to get parental consent. This issue recently came to a head when two boys asked us for help with STI symptoms.

Roots of Health, recently began a partnership with the Department of Health (DOH) and the Philippines Center for Population and Development (PCPD) to try to improve access to contraceptives in Palawan.

Filipino charity Roots of Health, recognised for its work providing pregnancy-related services and raising awareness of reproductive health rights and family planning, is one of 23 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) worldwide to receive a 2016 Stars Impact Award.

Palawan continues to battle maternal mortality – preventable deaths caused by complications of pregnancy and childbirth. We’ve trained our Community Health Advocates in recognizing warning signs of any danger during pregnancy and immediately after.

2016 was the year we significantly scaled-up our clinical services by conducting missions all over Palawan. We tripled the number of women that we reached in 2015. We also made a fundamental change to the Youth Advocate Program. Instead of only working with young people in our ten communities, we opened it up and now work with youth all over Puerto Princesa. The impact has been immediate and future looks […]

This has been our biggest and most impactful year yet – and we couldn’t have done our work without your generous support. Thank you for being a part of our journey in 2016.

We have passed the 100 day mark in his presidency, but to date President Duterte has not moved forward on his promise to support this Law. Women are waiting.

Zika only effects pregnant women and their babies. So Why not women about the health risks they potentially face and provide them the means to prevent pregnancy?

It was a year of major scaling of our programming in order to reach more women and young people not only in Puerto Princesa City, but in the whole province of Palawan. Our High School Team taught over 16,000 students from Narra to Roxas and our Clinical Team traveled almost to Malaysia to deliver reproductive health services.

Raised Pinay (Raised Filipino Woman) is a benefit show on March 31 at the Philippine Consulate of New York and April 2 at NYU’s Palladium Hall. This original activist theater piece featuring an all-pinay cast who will share their own stories of being raised as a Filipina.

The Philippines now has 11 cities with an HIV infection rate greater than 5%. Puerto Princesa is one of these cities. Find out how we can slow this down and avoid a health crisis in Palawan.

Roots of Health reaches over 16,000 girls and women with our holistic approach to women’s health, which includes sex education, clinical services, community-based health support and life skills training.

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.

Although 2014 was a busy year filled with growth, we are continually striving to reach more women and young people. Together with our New York Board of Directors and Philippines-based Advisory Committee, we have been envisioning the future of the organization and how we can grow sustainably.

Does jumping up and down after sex prevent pregnancy? A shocking 83% of more than 1,000 young people recently taught reproductive health education in Puerto Princesa City said yes.

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.

How do you reach young people in geographically isolated areas? This was the problem Roots of Health faced before starting a radio show to give adolescents the information they need to make informed decisions.

Ugat ng Kalusugan is seeking a Financial Literacy teacher to work in our community and high school outreach programming.

We couldn’t do the work that we do without the support of individuals and organizations around the world that share the same values that we do. When funders make the effort to visit Palawan and talk with our staff and the people we serve, it means a lot to all of us.

Go big or go home is an oft-repeated mantra. 2015 is the year that our high school programming is going big. After reaching all the public high schools within Puerto Princesa City last year, we have committed to reaching more young people in rural areas.

Roots of Health is proud to announce a partnership with Elements Fine Furnishing Fabrics, Gifts & Graces, and Natalya Lagdameo. Part of the proceeds for all Pyke and Tana bears sold will be donated to Roots of Health to support our reproductive health work in Palawan.

World Contraception Day focuses on empowering young people to think ahead and build contraception into their future plans, to prevent unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections.

Recently an 11 year-old girl was sexually assaulted and murdered in Aplaya, one of the communities we work in. We talked with the teenagers about it help them to deal with their emotions after such a shocking event.

One of the real highlights of the month was the visit of New York Board Member Justine Fonte. She spent a little more than a week with us early in the month, working with all programs and all staff, getting to know what we were doing, what challenges we were meeting, and helping us plan new ways of teaching reproductive health to young people. She was especially inspiring, I think, […]

We’ve gone ahead and introduced our next project, vermicomposting to some of the women in our communities. After the initial horror, excitement took over and we have orders. Help us make this project a reality!

We’re experiencing mixed emotions this June. We’re lucky enough to have two smart, highly skilled new interns, but sadly have to say goodbye to one of our nurses.

Greetings from sweltering Palawan!! This has been a long hard summer and we have begun to hope for rain and a little cooling in earnest, gazing wistfully at dark clouds over the mountains that somehow don’t quite make it to the city! But this has been our busiest summer ever, and May has been a month of tying things up. Our Financial Literacy (FinLit) team graduated one group in Magsasaka, […]

Roots of Health continues to grow, with 2013 marking our fourth year of operations. During the year, we continued our health education and delivery of clinical services in our six community sites, and we also began a Financial Literacy Program. These new classes aim to help our community clients break out of poverty by teaching them skills to better manage their resources. We also intensified teaching efforts in local high […]

More than anything, however, Ami is an inspired individual who only wishes other Filipinas could feel the same way. Celebrated as a woman and surrounded by equally amazing women during her undergrad studies at Wellesley College, she realized she could do and be whatever she wanted.

Why would an Ivy-League educated mestiza be working at grassroots level in the heart of Palawan? Ami says helping others is her true calling.

2013 was a year of growth for the organization and we’re thrilled with the impact we’ve had on the lives of women and young people.

September was a very busy month, as we got back into community work full scale. A second round of women’s reproductive health classes in two communities, Aplaya and Magsasaka and the start of the Financial Literacy sessions in Little Tondo. We also intensified our Community Health Advocate and Student Health Advocate programs in colleges and communities.

“This is really something — the kids never get the opportunity to ask questions like these.” A teacher leaned over and whispered to me.

We invited renowned sex psychologist, Dr. Margie Holmes to come to Palawan to work with students to talk about their concerns and develop a reproductive health curriculum.

When you make a donation to Roots of Health, you’re not just supporting the organization. You’re also supporting hundreds of women and young people in Palawan who benefit directly from our programming. To see what kind of impact we’ve made, please read our 2012 Annual Report.

July was a very interesting and busy month for Roots of Health. Our Board of Directors held successful events in New York, and the month was full of happy welcomes to guests, visitors, and volunteers here in Palawan.

Last week Hong Kong Development Committee members participated in a bartending competition at Play nightclub on our behalf. It was a great turnout for all us and the two other charities involved, with old acquaintances and new friends of Roots of Health coming together to drink for a good cause.

“I don’t have a right to vote.” I stood in the hot, meeting area in Aplaya, our community by the sea, in the middle of an education seminar, surrounded by 30 women and a few men and stared in disbelief.

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.

The Reproductive Health Bill that has been languishing in the House of Representatives for the last 15 years has finally been voted on!

Young people are more comfortable talking with their peers than adult, especially when it comes to sex. That is why a peer support system is so important in Palawan where teen pregnancy rates are high and reproductive health knowledge is low.

Ami Evangelista Swanepoel is Cosmo Philippines’ “Fun, Fearless Female” for the month of October. The “RH Freedom Fighter” is being featured for her work with Roots of Health and her advocacy for the Reproductive Health Bill.

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.

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.

“Teach abstinence”, said the rather quiet man in the back of the crowded classroom. “Teach abstinence and don’t even let students know about contraception – knowing will just encourage promiscuity!”

Who controls the population of the Philippines? Should government officials or individual Filipinos choose the ideal family size?

The Roots of Health Annual Report for 2011 details all of our priorities, programs, financial summaries and impact of our work.

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.

Senator Tito Sotto tried to debunk the data that 11 maternal deaths occur daily, but ended up reinforcing the same with figures gathered by his own staff. Here’s what he said at the Senate1: The proponents of the bill are saying that 11 Filipino women die every day when they talked about maternal mortality. They have not, however, supported this claim with accurate and consistent data. Kung tutuusin sa pinagawa […]

Curious as to just how many groups support the RH Bill? From government and health groups to religious and business groups, almost everyone can see the benefit of a bill that helps poor women.

A University of the Philippines freshman student makes all the debates and drama surrounding the Reproductive Health Bill moot. It’s really all about empathy for the Filipinas who are dying every day and urgency to make these avoidable deaths stop.

In May this year, the Asia 21 Fellows Class of 2011 visited Roots of Health – winners of the Asia Society 2011 PSA award – at their facility in the Philippines. From strategic planning and meeting rural community members to discussions on outreach… the trip was an inspiring one

“I’ll never forget meeting women who said they only wanted two or three children, but had gone through seven or eight pregnancies.”

Ami was recently interviewed by Celebrity Living regarding maternal health in Palawan, her family and the RH Bill. Here’s what she had to say.

Recently a lot of people have been asking us how we make our Vertical Gardens. So we’ve added the photos with some instructions for everyone to see, make, experiment and improve.

We recently hosted photographer/film-maker, Peter Carney, who travelled to Puerto Princesa to document our work. The resulting interviews highlighted the need for family planning and “flat stomachs”. If women want them.

Barclays Capital renews its commitment to funding work that improves women’s and children’s health and rights in the Philippines.

Susan and Ami recently travelled to India to attend the the Asia Society Young Leaders Summit and accept the Asia 21 Public Service Award.

This Holiday Season, celebrate your loved ones by making a gift in their name to support women’s and children’s health!

Roots of Health, a nonprofit organization working to improve the health of women and girls and their communities, has been named the 2011 recipient of the Asia 21 Young Leaders Public Service Award.

Amina Evangelista Swanepoel, founding Executive Director of Roots of Health, has been named among the 150 next generation leaders from 30 countries in the Asia Pacific region who will participate in the Asia Society’s sixth annual Asia 21 Young Leaders Summit.

An incident of abuse forces Marcus to examine the debate about reproductive health in terms of control and ownership of women and their reproductive and sexual lives.

You have to respect a woman who gives birth in a hut, far from a medical facility. Even more so when she does so with a smile. Roots of Health nurses and Lyn-Lyn were able to ensure that at least qualified medical personal were on hand.

If you have heard any of the RH Bill debates you’ll have heard many contradictory arguments. The University of the Philippines recently brought together experts from a range of fields to debate the subjects of cancer, conception and contraceptives. Here are there findings.

The Roots of Health Board of Directors is pleased to invite you to the third annual Roots of Health Social. Please join us as we celebrate the completion of two years of work in the Philippines. This year, Roots of Health co-founders Amina Evangelista Swanepoel and Marcus Swanepoel will be in New York to join the festivities. Buy your tickets now!

We have redesigned our Annual Report. We’ve included more photographs and information. We hope that you enjoy reading about our work as much as we enjoyed doing it.

What does it take to really make a difference in a child’s life? The list is long, but one thing that the Roots of Health teachers have discovered is that personal attention and encouragement go a long, long way.

Roots of Health was recently visited by Molly Theobald, a former researcher for Nourishing the Planet. She was so impressed by the Vertical Gardens at Little Tondo that she decided to write about it. Here’s why…

Ami tags along to watch a sexual health seminar at PSU and is shocked by some of the questions students asked. “Is sex really that bad?”

Roots of Health nurse, Josylyn Gulane shares the current state of HIV in the Philippines and what Filipinos should be doing to prevent an epidemic.

Brown University health researcher, Margeaux Berroth conducted a two-month intensive assessment of the health needs of the students of Palawan State University, Puerto Princesa. She found that many young people are having sex against the wishes of a church, family or other affiliated community, and that many are engaging in unprotected sex.

Shirene recounts the inspiring Storytelling Workshop with Gcina Mhlophe-Becker at Museo Pambata and how it has affected her in her work in Palawan as a ROH teacher.

How did you celebrate International Women’s Day? Marcus steps back and takes a look at what we do for women and how we celebrated the ladies of our community.

Lyn-Lyn attended a Maternal Health Seminar and discovered some disturbing information about the health of mothers in Palawan. She wasn’t the only one.

Martha Dewees, a social worker, professor and Roots of Health Board member examines our sites from a different perspective.

2011 has gotten off to a great start for Roots of Health and we are all very excited about our plans for the coming year.

It’s been a year since the last time that Ugat ng Kalusugan staff did a needs assessment in various areas in Puerto Princesa in order to find the next location where Ugat ng Kalusugan / Roots of Health can extend its helping hand.

Many of the issues that communities face are more than we are equipped to deal with. We have been fortunate to have formed many positive partnerships with other organizations that have stepped in to help.

Shirene recounts how eager to learn the students of Pulang Lupa are, they come to class rain or shine.

Thank you, Barclays Capital Charitable Donations Committee.

Marcus examines the link between overpopulation and maternal health here in the Philippines.

Ugat ng Kalusugan Program Associate Manager, Lyn-Lyn recently attended the Women Deliver Conference, the MDG awards ceremony and still found time to meet with some influential people. All on her first trip to Manila.

As a teacher, you can’t teach imagination. You just have to set the scene and hope for the best. Roots of Health teacher, Evetha was lucky enough to witness the spark that happens when children create their own worlds.

Students at Palawan Sate University seem to get pregnant with alarming regularity. Susan examines the possible causes for this and what Roots of Health is doing to help.

For a nurse, moving from a hospital to a community setting can take a bit of adjustment. Josh Gulane, the Roots of Health nurse writes about her experiences and conclusions regarding the matter.

The Manila Hostage Crisis only highlighted the lack of accountability in government. And more than the eight hostages, it affects almost every one of the 98 million Filipinos who need the RH Bill passed.

Cooking for one hundred people is no easy task. Rhealyn explains how we do it.

Roots of Health weighs in on the Reproductive Health debate that is raging in the Philippines.

Roots of Health (Ugat ng Kalusugan) has been featured in the August edition of Smile Magazine, the in-flight magazine of Cebu Pacific Air. The article, by Katherine Jack, is about the ‘Brain Gain’, Filipinos who are returning to their homeland to make a difference.

Susan Evangelista describes the modifications that have been made to the Child and Maternal Health Programs in Puerto Princesa, Palawan.

In Puerto Princesa, environmetal awareness is widespread. Nurturing the youth is not. Education Program Associate, Evetha Fem Gaton examines what Roots of Health is doing at Pulang Lupa to prepare the children for life.

Roots of Health nurse Josylyn Gulane recounts some of her experiences at Pulang Lupa during her first two months.

A Roots of Health volunteer, Margeaux Berroth writes about her experiences with the students and staff at Palawan State University while conducting research into the health concerns of the students.

Susan Evangelista has ‘wow’ moment during a Board of Directors meeting and thinks about how the idea of Roots of Health has rippled across the globe.

Roots of Health turns one and Rhealyn Paliza describes her journey as a maternal health worker here in Palawan.

The Roots of Health educational sessions for children has been adapted to fit the needs of the children in Pulang Lupa.

Ami Evangelista Swanepoel looks back at what Roots of Health has accomplished in it’s first year of operation.

Alex Secora describes his interactions with the community of Pulang Lupa. Alex accompanied Roots of Health in a volunteer capacity.

Ami Swanepoel celebrates her birthday at Pulang Lupa with the community that Roots of Health has been working with for the past 5 months.

Roots of Health erects vertical gardens in the Philippines to empower women to eat healthy food.

Keefe Murren, a documentary filmmaker came to Palawan to film Roots of Health in action.

Susan Evangelista writes on the balance between delivering much-needed services and the question of long-term sustainability in Pulang Lupa.

Myths about sexually transmitted diseases that Roots of Health has encountered during our work in Pulang Lupa.

Sara Evangelista, Ami’s sister shares her personal experience being on the Roots of Health Advisory Committee.

A blog describing how our program assistant, Rhealyn Paliza is employing the skills she learned as a teacher here in Palawan.

Roots of Health does some training in making vertical farms to promote food security among the residents of Pulang Lupa, Puerto Princesa, Palawan.

“Finish your milk, Rachel.” Growing up I heard this refrain thousands of times from my mother. Her urgings usually came at the end of my meal after I had cleaned my plate and was trying my best to ignore the glass of untouched milk before me. But my mother was persistent: “Milk is good for you, Rachel. It will help you grow up big and strong.” I, however, could not […]

Ugat ng Kalusugan has officially begun its Maternal Health Program in Puerto Princesa. Ami describes the first sessions with the mothers.

Lyn-Lyn, the Ugat ng Kalusugan Associate Program Manager writes about her unplanned pregnancy and how the experience shapes her work with mothers in Puerto Princesa.

A Roots of Health blog entry by Susan Evangelista, the president describing how the organization came into being.

Palawan is a province of immigrants. Every day people arrived from other parts of the Philippines looking for a fresh start in a pristine environment. Not all are so lucky. For the residents of Pulang Lupa, a pristine environment is more than a hop, skip and a jump away. The area they live in is an ex-mercury mine and their closest neighbor is the city landfill. Residents here are far […]

As with every month since we started working in the Philippines, December was another very busy month for Ugat ng Kalusugan! I started off the month with 3 days of back to back to back meetings in Manila with other organizations focused on maternal and child health and reproductive health. The people I met with were incredibly helpful and I am so thankful for their generosity in sharing their time […]

November has been a busy and important month for Roots of Health. Since my last blog update, we completed our needs assessment. In analyzing the data as well as our general observations from being in the communities, we have decided to begin our programs and service delivery in a community in Santa Lourdes called “Pulang Lupa” (meaning “red earth”) which is a part of Purok Matahimik. It is the community […]

Surveys in Purok Matahimik Earlier this week we returned to an area in Santa Lourdes called Purok Matahimik which means “quiet place”, also known as “Pulang Lupa” or red earth because of the color of the soil, and is also simply known as “Dumpsite” because of the community’s proximity to the Puerto Princesa landfill. This community is a top runner for where we might begin our services as it is […]

Last week, Ugat ng Kalusugan returned to Barangay Bagong Silang to carry out a mini-survey among Badjao families. Like our first survey in Bagong Silang, our purposes for carrying out another survey were two-fold: we wanted to test out our community health survey, and we wanted to get more information on one purok (area) of Bagong Silang because it is a possible site for our work. View photos of Badjao […]

Yesterday Ugat ng Kalusugan carried out a mini-survey in Barangay Bagong Silang. Our purposes were two-fold: we wanted to test out our community health survey, and we wanted to get more information on one purok (area) of Bagong Silang because it is a possible site for our work. Bagong Silang is a sea-front community with around 5,000 people – a third of whom are Cuyunon (a native group in Palawan), […]

One of the primary goals of Roots of Health is to provide educational outreach about reproductive health to women and girls. Once we begin our direct service, we will be working with underserved communities and withparticipants who have likely not had any formal education since grade school. We are currently still creating and tweaking our materials, so when we were invited to teach a two-day seminar at Palawan State University […]

Check out the short movie by filmmaker Keefe Murren, explaining our community health work with women and children in Palawan, Philippines. You won’t be disappointed.

Susan went along with Ami, Lyn Lyn and Jane last Wednesday to observe the afternoon reproductive health class. She was mostly there just to see a session fist hand, but was roped in for one of the charade activities.

Roots of Health empowers women and girls to secure their right to health and freedom from violence, and to support and protect the health and well-being of their children. We conduct educational workshops and provide health counseling and services as well as nutritional support.

Brown University health researcher, Margeaux Berroth conducted a two-month intensive assessment of the health needs of the students of Palawan State University, Puerto Princesa. She found that many young people are having sex against the wishes of a church, family or other affiliated community, and that many are engaging in unprotected sex.

Ami recently answered some questions about the controversial Reproductive Health Bill for Meg Magazine. Read what she had to say.