Lapu-Lapu City emerged as the overall champion while Mandaue City secured 14 awards and recognitions for their public health programs at the 2026 Local Health Systems Awards.
The Department of Health-Central Visayas Center for Health Development (DOH-CVCHD) presented the awards on Friday, Nov. 6, during a ceremony at a hotel in Barangay Lahug, Cebu City.
Lapu-Lapu received the overall championship award with a P250,000 cash prize, along with the Regional Healthy Communities Award, which carried another P200,000.
The city also earned a P300,000 Performance-Based Incentive Award for its barangay health workers (BHWs).
Its City Health Office received gold awards for achieving a 93.7% tuberculosis treatment success rate and its performance in providing post-exposure prophylaxis to animal bite patients.
Lapu-Lapu also ranked first among highly urbanized cities (HUCs) in the Measles-Rubella Supplemental Immunization Activity (MR-SIA) and received a silver award for its TB-HIV collaboration through Provider-Initiated HIV Counseling and Testing services.
Other recognitions covered its Animal Bite Program partners, MR-SIA stakeholders and Healthy Workplace Initiative. The city also placed second in the Dugong Bayani Performance Award.
Barangay Caohagan ranked fourth among the top-performing barangays after reaching all eligible target children during the MR-SIA.
Mayor Ma. Cynthia “Cindi” King-Chan credited the recognition to the combined efforts of city health personnel, barangay officials and BHWs.
“Grabe ang atong ka-proud ug garbo isip mga Oponganon,” King-Chan said in a statement, describing the awards as a reflection of the collective work of those delivering health services and protecting communities.
Mandaue City, meanwhile, received P150,000 after placing second in the Regional Healthy Communities Awards for the HUC category.
It also ranked third in the BHW Performance-Based Incentives under the same category, earning P100,000.
The city placed second in the MR-SIA and received silver awards for its tuberculosis program’s chest X-ray screening and molecular WHO-recommended rapid diagnostic testing rate.
Mandaue’s Social Hygiene Clinic ranked first in HIV testing and third in pre-exposure prophylaxis enrollment.
The city also received the Apolinario Mabini Award for Voluntary Blood Services and recognition for its rabies prevention campaign, electronic Logistics Management Information System, supply chain management and Healthy Workplace Initiative.
Mandaue was also nominated in the 2026 Search for Outstanding Local Government Unit in Local Health Systems.
The annual awards recognize local government efforts to deliver health services, including immunization, tuberculosis prevention and treatment, HIV testing and prevention, blood services and other community-based programs.
This year’s ceremony carried the theme, “Advancing Universal Health Care through UNA Para sa Kalusugan: Stronger Health Systems, Healthier Communities, A Healthier Philippines by 2040.”
📷 Mayor Cindi King-Chan / Facebook
Comments