PEÑARRUBIA, ABRA – The municipal town of Peñarrubia in Abra province has maintained a zero neonatal death rate since 2012, a success attributed in part to its coin bank program which aids pregnant residents in saving for emergency healthcare.
According to Philippines News Agency, a beneficiary of the program who spoke to the Philippine News Agency, the initiative allowed her to save PHP 5,000, contributing significantly to her PHP 8,000 hospital bill when she gave birth via caesarian section in August 2016. The 'Banco de Nueve Project', operated by the Rural Health Unit (RHU) with assistance from village health workers, provides financial preparedness for expectant mothers, especially during emergencies where free birthing services are not an option.
Dr. Elsa Dangani Gonzales, the municipal health officer, shared in a separate interview that the project, initiated in 2016, aims to alleviate financial burdens during childbirth emergencies, such as when families are referred to higher-level facilities. Pregnant women receive a free bamboo coin bank during their first prenatal checkup at the RHU, with these banks being produced by community health workers in Peñarrubia.
In addition to the coin bank, expecting mothers are given pink booklets to help monitor their savings, and the program encourages contributions from family, friends, and the community. Should savings remain post-delivery, they can be allocated for newborn screenings, and in dire situations where families lack funds, the local government unit (LGU) offers a trust fund for support.
Peñarrubia, classified as a 6th class municipality and situated approximately 15 kilometers from the capital town Bangued, boasts an RHU that provides comprehensive medical services, including tuberculosis care and laboratory services with a full blood count machine. Gonzales emphasized that these services are subsidized by the LGU, offering free care to pregnant women and a 50 percent subsidy for other residents.
The Department of Health complements these local efforts by augmenting the RHU's staffing with additional nurses, midwives, and a medical technologist, thus extending care to residents beyond Peñarrubia's borders.