Senator Alan Peter Cayetano and Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano warmly welcomed the Singapore president along with his wife Mrs. Jane Shanmugaratnam and his delegation of key officials including Members of Parliament Mr. Henry Kwek and Ms. Mariam Jaafar, and Ambassador Constance See, Singapore's representative to the Philippines.
President Tharman emphasized the critical importance of prioritizing maternal and child health, especially in the first two years of life.
According to the Singapore President, it's crucial for parents, communities, and medical professionals to collaborate to ensure all children, especially those at risk of developmental problems, have a solid start in life.
"The good comes in the doing, not just in policymaking, not just in having a strong enunciation about the importance of this intervention. The good comes in the doing. And that requires partnership. It requires committed partnerships, in your case, the Mayor and the team in Taguig City, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, who has the experts, Temasek Foundation, who is helping to make this possible and everyone else who's involved," said Tharman.
Mayor Cayetano shared the ongoing activities conducted by the local government of Taguig in regards to health care. According to him, the agreement entered into by Taguig City, Temasek Foundation, and KK Women's and Children's Hospital is a strong symbol of their shared goal to further improve maternal and child health in the Philippines.
"As we embark on this journey, you can be assured that Taguig will approach this partnership with the same dedication and determination that have defined our progress over the years. We are always committed when it comes to opportunities that can elevate the standard of living for our people," said the mayor.
Prior to this, the City Government of Taguig and groups from Singapore signed two major agreements on health care, specifically improving mother and child care in marginalized areas in the city.
The first agreement is a Public-Private-Philanthropic Partnership led by CareSpan Asia Inc. and Temasek Foundation, which will connect approximately 350,000 impoverished Taguig residents to potential solutions for their health care needs through a modern Digital Health care platform.
The second, in collaboration with the SingHealth Duke-NUS Maternal and Child Health Research Institute (MCHRI), will focus on primary health issues, infrastructure planning, and staff training in maternal and child healthcare facilities.
President Tharman emphasized the importance of safeguarding a child's early years for the future, not only for the child's sake, but for the entire economy and society of the country.
(Photos and video from Taguig PIO)
