Evolution of Public Health in the Philippines

The Fajardo Act (Act No. 2156)

created Sanitary Divisions

Philippine General Hospital

under the Bureau of Health who sent four nurses to Cebu to take care of mothers and their babies

St. Paul Hospital of Nursing in Intramuros

assigned two nurses to do home visiting in Manila and gave nursing to mothers and newborns babies from the outpatient obstetrical service of the Philippines General Hospital 1914

Reorganization Act No. 2462

created the office of General Inspection

General Inspection

This office is created due to increasing demands for nurses to work outside the hospital, the need for direction, supervision, and guidance of public health nurses.

Mrs. Casilang Eustaquio and Mrs. Matilde Azurin

Two graduate Filipino nurses who were employed for maternal and child nursing health and sanitation in Manila under an American nurse, Mrs. G.D Schudder.

Ms. Perlita Clark

took charge of the public health nursing work.

Ms. Perlita Clark

Her staff was composed of 1 American nurse supervisor, 1 American dietician, 36 Filipino nurses working in the provinces and 1 nurse and 1 dietician assigned in 2 sanitary division.

1919

First Filipino nurse supervisor under the Bureau of health, Ms. Carmen del Rosario was appointed.

Ms. Carmen del Rosario

First Filipino nurse supervisor under Bureau of health

Ms. Carmen del Rosario

She had a staff of 84 public health nurses assigned in five health stations.

1923

Two government schools of nursing were established: Zamboanga General Hospital School of Nursing in Mindanao and Baguio General Hospital in Northern Luzon.

1912, Fajardo act no. 2156

Created sanitary divisions. The president of the sanitary division took charge of 2 or 3 municipalities. No physicians available, male nurses were assigned to perform the duties of the president, Sanitary Division.

1916-1918

Perlita clark took charge of the public health nursing work.

1917

Four graduates paid by the city of manila were employed to work in the city schools. Provinces that could afford to carry out school health services were encouraged to employ a district nurse.

1918

The office of Ms. Clark was demolished due to lack of funds.

1926

Miss Carmen Legardo resigned and Miss Genara S. Manongdo, a ranking supervisor of the American red cross, Philippine chapter was appointed in her place.

1927

The office of district nursing under the office of general inspection, Philippine Health Services was abolished and supplanted by the section of Public Health Nursing

1928

The convention of nurse was held followed by yearly convention until the advent of ww 2

1930

The section of public health nursing was converted into section of nursing due to pressing need for guidance not only in public nursing services but also in hospital nursing and nursing education

1942

A group of public health nurses went to the internment camp in capas, tarlac to receive sick prisoners of the war released by the japanese army.

Reorganization act of 4007

Transferred the division of maternal and child health of the office of public welfare commission to the bureau of health.

1914

Activities and personnel including six health members of the metropolitan division, bureau of health were transferred to the new department.

October 8, 1947 Executive order no. 94

Organized government offices and created the division of nursing under the office of secretary of health so that nursing services can be availed by the different bureaus and units to help carry out their programs

1948

The first training center of the bureau of health was organized in cooperation with the pasay city health department

1946

Post war records of tye bureau of health showed that there were 308 public health nurses and 38 supervisors compared to pr-war when there were 556 public health nurses and 38 supervisors

1957

Republic Act 1891 was approved amending Sections, two, three, four, seven and eight of R.A 1082: strengthening Health and dental Services in the Rural Areas and providing Funds thereto."

1950

The Rural health Demonstration and Training center (RHDTC) was established by the Department of Health through the initiatives of Dr. Hilarion Lara, Dean Institute of Hygiene, now college of Public health, University of the Philippines The WHO and UNICEF assisted project used health centers of the Quezon City Health Department, which were located in the cural areas of the city.

1967

In the Bureau of Disease Control Mrs. Zenaida Palilio-Nisce was appointed as Nursing Program Supervisor, and served as consultant on the nursing aspects of the 5 special diseases: TB, Leprosy, Venereal Diseases, Cancer, Filariasis, and Mental Health. She was involved in program planning, monitoring and evaluation and research.

1953

The Office of Health Education and Personnel Training were established wiff Dr. Trinidad Gomez as Chief.
Philippine Congress approved Republic Act No. 1082 or the Rural Health Law, It created the first 81 Rural Health. units. Each Unit had a physician, a public health nurse, a midwife, a sanitary inspector and a clerk driver.

1971

Mrs. Josefina A. Mendoza, supervising Nurse Instructor, office of Health Education and personnel Training, succeeded Mrs. Annie Sandas Nursing Consultant
WHO Consultant on Pediatric Nursing was appointed Nursing Program Supervisor, Office of the Secretary of Health.

1958-1965

Republic Act 977 passed by congress in 1954 was implemented. Division of Nursing was abolished,
It created nursing position at different levels in health organization.
Reorganization Act with implementing details embodied in Executive Order 288, series of 1959 de-centralized and integrated health services. It created 8 Regional Health Offices in the country, which were later increased to 11 and eventually seventeen.

1974

The project Management Staff was organized as part of Population. Loan ILof the Philippine Government with Dr.
Francisco Aguilar as Project Manager.
Expert form different fields of public health were recruited and Mrs. Nelida Castillo joined the PMS staff. Her position as Nursing supervisor, office of the Secretary of health was taken over by Mrs. Zenaida Nice, Nursing Program Supervisor Bureau of Disease Control.

1986

The reorganization of the Department of Health during this period placed the position of Nursing Consultant at the Bureau of Health and Medical Services. It was then abolished when Mrs. Mendoza retired.

1976-1986

The Nursing Consultant and Nursing Program Supervisor of the Office of the Secretary were involved in the Rural. health Practice Program which required medical and nursing graduates to serve for two months in the rural areas of the country before their licenses could be issued by the Professional Regulatory Commission. When the number of nursing graduates reached over 12,000 per year

1975

As a result of the restructuring of the health care delivery system based on the findings of Operation Research (WHO assisted) conducted in the province of Rizal in the early 70's, the function of the health team members (Municipal health Officer, Public Health Nurse, Rural health Midwifes and Rural Sanitary Inspector) were redefined. The role of the Public Health Nurse and the midwife were expanded. Two thousand midwives were recruited and trained to serve
in the rural areas.

2005-2006

The development of the rationalization Plan to streamline the bureaucracy further was started and is in the last stages of finalization.

May 24, 1999, Executive Order No. 102

Was signed by president Joseph Ejercito Estrada, redirecting the functions and operations of the Department of Health.
Based on this Executive Order, most of the nursing positions at the Central Office were either transferred or devoived to the other offices and services.

2006- up to present

During this period, the Philippine Nursing Act of 2002 was enacted under the Republic Act No. 9173 which entails changes on existing policies under Republic Act No. 7164. These changes underscore on the requirements for faculty and Dean of the Colleges of Nursing, as well as the conduct for Nursing Licensure Exam.