Anakalusugan Party-list recently led dental missions in 5 towns in the Province of Antique as part of its initiatives to bring healthcare services closer to people in far-flung areas.
Anakalusugan Party-list Representative Ray Reyes said the dental missions were aimed at providing free dental services to underserved communities and people who have limited access to healthcare services.
Reyes noted how many Filipinos especially the ones in the countryside have brushed off the need to go to dentists because of its cost.
“We go back to our core advocacy to make use of congressional downtime to bring free health service missions to rural areas where these remain wanting,” he said.
Reyes said more than 500 residents from the towns of Valderrama, Patnongon, San Remegio, Sibalom, and Anini-y availed of dental services, including consultation, extraction, dental filling, and prophylaxis.
He also thanked the provincial government of Antique for lending their dental bus and mobilizing the province’s dentists to serve alongside Anakalusugan volunteer dentists and attendants.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to help our kababayans in Antique and we hope that our dental missions will not only alleviate their health problems but also show them that the government cares for their welfare,” Rep. Reyes added.
Meanwhile, Reyes reiterated his call for the expansion of Philhealth packages to cover dental health under the Universal Health Care law.
“If there is any takeaway from our dental missions, it is that there is a need for Philhealth and local government units to focus on the expansion of their regular services and seriously move towards the coverage of the dental needs of our constituents,” Rep. Reyes said.
He noted how many Filipinos especially the ones in the countryside have brushed off the need to go to dentists because of its cost.
“Marami sa ating mga kababayan sa probinsya ang hindi makapunta sa dentista o ayaw magpatingin sa dentista dahil sa takot na kailangan magbayad ng malaking halaga,” Rep. Reyes said.
“Dental complaints have serious ramifications on productivity. It cannot be ignored, set aside for later or swept under the rug. If we are to seriously move towards economic recovery and rural development, these must be attended to,” he added.
