Likhaan Staff Development

Last October 10, 2022, Likhaan Center for Women's Health Inc. conducted a 4-day Staff Development Training at Vista Venice Resort, Morong Bataan.

This 4-day training aims to provide all staff with a common understanding of Likhaan's fundamental principles, which include gender and social equality, sexual and reproductive health and rights, people's empowerment, and participatory governance. Identifying and planning solutions to workplace problems and issues, as well as strengthening staff capacities for creative thinking, teamwork, and solidarity.

On day 1 of the training, Dr. Junice Melgar started the discussion of human rights and the obligations of duty-bearers and rights-holders. Including the role of Likhaan in promoting sexual and gender equality, SRHR, and empowerment. how Likhaan can continue to uphold SRHR principles in practice in the family, in the community and clinics, and in advocacy work. This discussion also aided in determining the staff's understanding of the above-mentioned topics in the context of Likhaan's work and family practices.

Jun Melgar provided a report on the current state of healthcare financing in the Philippines, particularly on expenditures and their effects on Likhaan’s delivery of services. He discussed the function of the Philhealth system, describing its strengths and weaknesses, as well as the weight of the current healthcare financing situation on the average Filipino. He also added a brief presentation on climate change and its underlying causes and consequences with a follow-up discussion on what can be done to promote climate justice and environmental sustainability.

Day 2 of the training started with Dr. Junice Melgar with a presentation about clinical manifestations and clinic protocols. She also included the topics of menstruation abnormalities, sexual health, and mental health as part of the discussion.

Parallel workshops on work-related issues were conducted among Clinicians, CMs, Admin, Finance, Advocacy, and Fundraising. This includes problem-solving and planning workshops per line of activities.

On the last day of the training, team-building was conducted with a series of structured group activities designed to foster creative thinking, team coordination, and solidarity. Participants were divided into 6 teams (Blue, Green, Orange, Pink, Purple, and Yellow) and competed in: Cheering contest, Balloon caterpillar race, Back-to-back balloon pairs relay, roll the Ping-Pong balls on paper tubes relay, step-on-plate-to-cross relay, and draw-a-circle within-a square-on-blindfold race.

During the evening, regional presentations of Likhaan's ethnolinguistic groups were held, as well as the awarding of the best clinic "paandar" to commemorate Likhaan's 27th anniversary last September.