07 August 2014 – His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, granted an audience to Secretary of Health Enrique T. Ona on June 26 at the Istana Nurul Iman as part of the Health Secretary’s official visit to Brunei Darussalam.
His Majesty the Sultan welcomed Secretary Ona and expressed satisfaction with the conclusion of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Health Cooperation between the Philippines and Brunei Darussalam. During the audience, the Secretary was accompanied by Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Adanan bin Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Mohd. Yusof, Brunei’s Ministry of Health; Minister Celeste Vinzon-Balatbat, Chargé d’Affaires, a.i., Philippine Embassy; Datin Norlila binti Dato Paduka Haji Abdul Jalil, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health; and Director Maylene M. Beltran of DOH – Bureau of International Health Cooperation.
Secretary Ona and Minister of Health Pehin Adanan signed the MOU during a ceremony held at the Empire Hotel & Country Club in Jerudong, a few hours prior to the audience.
The areas of cooperation between the Philippine and Brunei included: 1.) public health including promotion, and disease control and prevention; 2.) medical and health research development; 3.) capacity building for the health profession; 4.) disaster preparedness and emergency medical services; 5.) quality assurance, including accreditation of health facilities and services; and 6.) health enforcement and regulations, among other areas.
Through the MOU, the Philippines and Brunei would prepare an action plan with implementation of programs and related activities in respective countries through exchange of information, experiences, and good practices as well as exchange of visits and expert services as appropriate.
The MOU would identify gaps in each country’s health sector, and closely collaborate through mutual health cooperation activities to close those gaps.
More importantly, the MOU would address Brunei’s medical needs by permitting Filipino doctors and other medical practitioners to work in Brunei for short-term periods to complement Brunei’s medical workforce, particularly in specialized fields, e.g. cardiology, nephrology, cancer treatment, among others.
These priority activities to follow through the MOU signing were discussed during a bilateral meeting of senior health officials from the two countries.
The Philippine delegation accompanying Secretary Ona during the signing ceremony were: Minister Celeste Vinzon-Baltbat, Chargé d’Affaires, a.i., Philippine Embassy; Ms. Maylene M. Beltran, Director IV, Bureau of International Health Cooperation, DOH; Dr. Kenneth Ronquillo, Director IV, Health Human Resource Development & Planning Bureau, DOH; Dr. Gloria Balboa, Director IV, DOH Regional Office V, DOH; Dr. Edrie Alcanzare, Medical Officer III, Office of the Secretary, DOH; and Mr. Frederick A. Rili, Assistant and Attaché, Philippine Embassy.
After the signing ceremony, Secretary Ona was interviewed by members of the Brunei media, wherein he stated that the MOU aims to implement reform programs in health, particularly in the achievement of universal healthcare which aims to ensure access to quality health services. He noted that the Philippines and Brunei can collaborate specifically on initiatives under the Global action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) in 2013-2020 as reiterated in the Bandar Seri Begawan Declaration on NCDs in ASEAN.
Secretary Ona also visited the Rimba Dialysis in Gadong, Bandar Seri Begawan. END