Text by Angelou C. Mendoza
Photos by Brian Floyd Andrewmer Albitos
With the Philippines having one of the highest occupancy rates in detention facilities which lead to overcrowding, the transmission of diseases and infections is much more likely, especially at unsanitary conditions. People Deprived of Liberty (PDL), like the general public, must have the same access and right to quality healthcare, hence public health in Philippine detention facilities must be profoundly discussed and analyzed by experts and authorities to recognize the importance of improved healthcare services and management for the incarcerated population.
As such, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Philippines and the University of the Philippines Manila (UPM) worked jointly to deliver the 4th Health in Detention (HiD) Course last August 12-16, 2024 at the NTTCHP Auditorium. The event, attended by a total of 29 representatives from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, Bureau of Corrections, Bureau of Immigration, Philippine National Police, Department of Health, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, National Council on Muslim Filipinos, and UPM, aimed to raise
awareness and improve understanding of key stakeholders on the importance of detention
health as a public health issue upon delivering the course.
In his welcome remarks, Prof. Dindo P. Café, Chair of the Department of Behavioral Sciences (DBS), College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), enumerated various health situation concerns inside the detention centers in the country which must be addressed. In line with this, he provided a quick overview of the course objectives and learning outcomes upon the completion of the 5-day training.
“As a social scientist, I am exposed to different realities and social issues in the country. One of these is the situation of jails in the country. And if we look at the materials online, materials on social media and t.v., you can see a plethora of narratives and themes,” said Prof. Café. “One is lack of space will result in problematic ventilation and bad hygiene, insufficiency of food supply to the incarcerated men or to people deprived of liberty, and there are also instances of co-inmate attacks. And so with these, it is a call for UP Manila to be a catalyst to address these issues.”
A video lecture on Health Promotion and Prevention in Prisons and Jails was delivered by Asst. Prof. Ernesto R. Gregorio Jr., former Chair of the Department of Health Promotion and Education, College of Public Health (CPH). Thereafter, Prof. Calvin S. de los Reyes, Associate Professor and Coordinator for Graduate Program in Health Policy Studies of CAS-DBS, discussed an overview on the maternal and child health challenges in places of detention. His topic underscored the Bangkok Rules as the basic minimum reference for the treatment of women prisoners and those in custodial care.
The Head of Operations of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Pierre-Yves Barrea, delivering his opening remarks.
CAS Prof. Nymia Pimentel-Simbulan, former UPM Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs, extensively discussed on the introduction on the concepts of human rights in healthcare, the health rights of Persons Deprived of Liberty, the state obligations, and the rights-based approach to health care in places of detention protecting the dignity in health of the PDLs.
Prof. Leonardo Estacio Jr., former CAS Dean, served as a panelist during the group presentations which focused on the relevance of policy formulation in every strategy and activity cited by the group.#
