11 December 2014 - The Permanent Mission of the Republic of the Philippines to the United Nations Office and Other International Organizations and Philippine Consulate General in Geneva held the “Kalusugan ng Kababaihan: A Forum on Women’s Health and Wellness” on November 30 at the Sentro Rizal, 47 Avenue Blanc, 1202 Geneva.
The Forum raised awareness on women’s health issues especially as women compose majority of the Filipino community population of Geneva. More than 50 women from the Cantons of Geneva and Vaud attended the Forum and actively participated in the Question and Answer portion.
The two resource persons are members of the Filipino community who were willing to share their knowledge in their respective fields of expertise.
Dr. Mario Philip Festin, is a foremost OBGYN in the Philippines, and is currently working with the World Health Organization (WHO) as part of the Human Reproduction Team of the WHO Department of Reproductive Health and Research. Dr. Festin spoke on Women’s Reproductive Health, Breast Cancer Awareness, and HIV/AIDS.
Ms. Christina Crettenand is the Vice President of the Ugnayang Bayan, the umbrella organization of the Filipino Community in Geneva, and is working with several medical related non-profit organizations in Geneva such as Association des Mediatrics Inter-Culturelles (AMIC), Ambassador of migrants’ (AMIC), Ambassador of Genevoise pour la Depistage du cancer de Sein, and Unite de sante sexuelle et planning familial. Ms. Crettenand discussed access to health services in Geneva.
The Forum also promoted Gender and Development. It is one of the two activities of the Permanent Mission and the Consulate General in Geneva to commemorate the 151st Birth Anniversary of Gat Andres Bonifacio. The other activity is the “Bukas ng Linggo sa Araw ni Gat Bonifacio,” a Consular Section Open House, where the Consulate General provided consular and other services to Filipinos within its jurisdiction on a Sunday. END