DOH formalized agreement with Pilipinas Go4Health partners

Pilipinas Go4Health, the nationwide healthy lifestyle movement spearheaded by the Department of Health (DOH) and with its partners, formalized its partnerships with a variety of institutions during a ceremonial memorandum of understanding (MOU) signing at the Department of Health Compound in Manila last November 20, 2013.

It aims to inform and encourage Filipinos from all walks of life to practice a healthy lifestyle by making a personal commitment to physical activity, proper nutrition, and the prevention or cessation of smoking and alcohol consumption. Through the movement, DOH and its partners work together to promote and establish a sustainable environment for healthy living.

The MOU signing ceremony was attended by GT Metro Foundation, UCPB Gen, Philips Electronics, PhilRice, Global Academy, Bikram Yoga Alabang, Asian Medical Students Association, Polytechnic University of the Philippines and Asian Hospital and Medical Center. DOH officials and representatives from the National Center for Health Promotion (NCHP) led the ceremony, where the efforts of the Pilipinas Go4Health partners were recognized.

“This is another exciting milestone for us because we know that we are all in this fight against non-communicable disease (NCDs) together,” said Health Secretary Enrique Ona. 

“From the moment we learned about the rise of non-communicable diseases or NCDs, it became our mission to avert its long-term impact on the lives of Filipinos, knowing that the new lifestyle is mostly sedentary. Data also indicate that we have a diet that is high in cholesterol and fat, and that we need to more about smoking and heavy drinking,” Secretary Ona stressed.

Health is Wealth. To maintain our good health, we should have light exercise, morning walk regularly, always take balanced and nutritious diet, we should always be away from the bad habits like smoking, drinking and drug addiction.

Pilipinas Go4Health is a healthy lifestyle movement that aims to encourage Filipinos to commit to living healthy with :

Go Sustansya

They say you are what you eat. Our fast-paced lifestyle has led to a reliance on instant meals and fast food restaurants. There’s no harm in wanting to make life a bit easier, but doing so at the cost of one’s health is a no-no. Typically, these “quick” meals are loaded with unhealthy ingredients for them to last longer or cook easier.

Healthy meals are always the best source of energy, vitamins and minerals that people need everyday. A healthy diet includes: whole grains, healthy protein, fish, vegetables, fruits, and dairy. Eating healthy is easy and need not be expensive. The first step is understanding better and healthier meal options. One also needs to establish a positive attitude about food, know how much calories is needed daily, must know the ‘good’ and ‘bad’ in terms of fats and carbs.

Go Sigla

Getting physical is one of the basic ways of keeping one’s self in tip-top shape. But with very busy schedules, people sometimes find it difficult to squeeze in workouts and exercises.

There are a lot of ways of being physically active. They can be simple things such as using the stairs when climbing up or going down a floor or two and walking to your destination when it’s a few blocks away. Even the simplest household tasks such as gardening and cleaning the house are considered exercise.

Different activities target specific parts of the body. There are endurance activities like brisk walking, dancing and biking, that strengthen the heart and lungs. Flexibility activities that strengthen the muscles include stretching, gardening, and doing various household chores. And there are strengthening activities that concentrate on the strength of bones and muscles, such as climbing up the stairs, lifting weights, and doing push-ups. Tai Chi, do heel-to-toe walk, and balancing on one foot help in maintaining balance.

Go Slow sa Tagay

For some, drinking is a way to relax and unwind. But when it comes to alcohol consumption, moderation is very important.  For men, two drinks are recommended, while women are urged to take one drink.

It also aims to promote safe and responsible driving, and lessen motor vehicle accidents. Under RA 10586, law enforcement can conduct random field sobriety tests, chemical and confirmatory tests on motorists suspected of driving under the influence.

Responsible drinking is the key. Moderate alcohol drinking may contribute in reducing one’s risk for: heart diseases, strokes, particularly is schemic stroke gall stones and diabetes.

Go Smoke-free

Smoking is a deadly habit. Ten Filipinos die every hour because of smoking. Across the globe, there are 1.1 billion smokers, and if current trends continues, the number of smokers will reach 1.6 billion by year 2025. In the Philippines, 28 percent, or 17.3 million Filipino adults aged 15 years and older are current tobacco smokers, according to 2009 data by the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS). But it is not only first-hand smoking that kills. Exposure to secondhand smoke is prevalent as well. 

 Smoking is associated with:

          (1) cardiovascular diseases (including heart diseases and stroke);

          (2) diabetes;

          (3) cancer; and

          (4) chronic respiratory diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) and asthma.

Countries are making efforts to reduce, if not eliminate, tobacco use. The World Health Organization (WHO) supports countries through the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC). WHO also introduced the MPOWER measures, which aims to assist the implementation of programs to reduce tobacco demand.

Launched in June 2013, Pilipinas Go4Health is gaining a strong following among the public and private sectors, academe, local governments, and in online and social media.

Secretary Ona said that this milestone signals the start of bigger, more sustained actions toward a healthier Philippines. 

“With the help of our leaders, our employers, our schools, our families, and our champions, we will inspire every Filipino, from the young to the old, to embrace a healthy future. Because we owe it to ourselves to fight for that future,” Secretary Ona said. 

“We salute the work of our partners, who are making great strides against NCDs. If you and your organization share the same passion for building a stronger and healthier Philippines, be part of Pilipinas Go4Health by registering on the website, www.go4health.ph. We are urging everyone to share their time, ideas, and resources so we can succeed in making health a reality for every Filipino,” Secretary Ona adds.

Here's a videp taken during the DOH MOU with Pilipinas Go4Health Partners, lead by DOH Assistant Secretary Dr. Enrique Tayag.