LAOM LUOP 2016

1. Inaccessible health care delivery system

The top of the list is the inaccessibility of the health care delivery system in the barangay. It is very important to know what does "inaccessibility" means in this context as this may cause confusion. A pertinent information about Brgy. Luop that could help us enlighten their perception of "inaccessiblity" is that, it is one of the few barangays in the Municipality that has been blessed with a Health Center. However, the midwife in charge of Brgy Luop also have the same responsibilities with other barangays. Thus, the main problem of the residents of Brgy. Luop is not about the absence of a health care facility but rather the absence of a mainstay health personnel that could address their health care necessities at the time they need it.

2. Lack of alternative source of livelihood

Another frequently occurring concern of the Brgy people is the need for an alternative source of livelihood. The primary source of livelihood in the barangay is farming and farmers are usually men. Thus, women are usually left at home and tend the needs of the family like performing household chores. However for most of the time, house tending ends early leaving the women, usually mothers, more free time. It is this free time that they want to make use of to be productive and help their husbands earn for the household.

3. Sanitation

Sanitation is a global problem. In fact according to World Health Organization (WHO) an estimated 2.6 billion people lack access to adequate sanitation globally. If the current trend continues, by 2015 there will be 2.7 billion people without access to basic sanitation. Brgy Luop is in no exception to this global issue. Underlying issues that add to this challenge is the poor knowledge in waste segregation and disposal as well as not implementing the Solid Solid Waste Management Act (RA 9003) as mandated by the law.

4. High Incidence of Malnutrition

According to WHO, Malnutrition is a major health problem, especially in developing countries (including the Philippines). Malnutrition essentially means “bad nourishment”. It concerns not enough as well as too much food, the wrong types of food, and the body's response to a wide range of infections that result in malabsorption of nutrients or the inability to use nutrients properly to maintain health.

There are many contributory factors of malnutrition in Brgy Luop but the main cause as mentioned by the community people is poverty. It is because of poverty that people are not able to eat the right kind of food they need. Lack of money means lack of food and lack of food, more often than not, can lead to malnutrition especially for children. Another contributory factors may be the sanitation problems and lack of proper knowledge on the proper nutrition especially of children.

5. High Incidence of Hypertension

The last but not the least problem seen by the community people is the growing number of residents that are diagnosed to be hypertensive. The lack of adequate knowledge on how to prevent, manage and treat hypertension even worsen the situation. Thus the community people opted to have this problem be tackled.

Those were the problems identified by the community people. We opt ,together with all the stakeholders involved, to help the community stand against these issues and conquer them on their own. It is also important to know that true happiness comes not when we get rid of all our problems, but when we change our relationship to them, when we see our problems as a potential source of awakening, opportunities to practice patience, learn and grow with other people all for the sake of the One who created us.