Bantayanons to Receive Pru Life UK-Funded Ultrasound Machines

Posted 03 Apr 2018

Municipal health officers and barangay health workers received training on the new portable ultrasound machines on March 13 and 14 in Bantayan Island

Pregnant women getting tested with new machine

Pregnant women from the three municipalities served as models for the demo training and practice.

(from left) Municipality of Santa Fe Municipal Health Officer Dr. Shein Melicer Ernacio and Mayor Jose Esgana receive a portable ultrasound machine from Pru Life UK SVP and Chief Marketing Officer Allan Tumbaga, Pru Life UK agent Carmenita De Rosas, and MyDocNow Program Manager Philippe Saubier

Municipal health officers and barangay health workers received training on the new portable ultrasound machines on March 13 and 14 in Bantayan Island

Women from the communities in Bantayan Island, Cebu will now have better chances of having healthy pregnancy through Pru Life UK’s donation of three units of portable ultrasound machines to the three municipalities of Bantayan, Madridejos, and Santa Fe.

The Company’s donation is in partnership with MyDocNow, which integrates technology and the improved availability of healthcare to provide benefits across many areas of the healthcare system.

Pru Life UK Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Allan Tumbaga visited the offices of Bantayan Mayor Ian Christopher Escario, Madridejos Mayor Jay River Dela Fuente, and Santa Fe Mayor Jose Esgana for the turnover of the ultrasound units.

“As a Company that believes in laying strong foundations for children to realize their full potential, Pru Life UK works to contribute to children’s welfare not only through our financial literacy program Cha-Ching but also by providing them support at an early stage through proper pre-natal care. This donation of ultrasound units is our way of helping shape children’s future here in Bantayan Island,” he said.

“We are truly grateful that Prudence Foundation and Pru Life UK do not get tired of continuing the support to the communities they have helped rebuild even years after Yolanda,” said Santa Fe Mayor Jose Esgana during the turnover.

The donation of three brand new units of GE Healthcare Vscan Access Ultrasound Scanners will aid the municipal health officers in administering proper pre-natal care for pregnant women and children by identifying high risk pregnancies and other potential medical conditions. The ultrasound units will be continuously used in more underserved communities in the island, including the remote smaller islets in Bantayan.

Along with the medical equipment, basic operation and troubleshooting was conducted on March 13 and 14 at the Ticad Health Center at the Municipality of Bantayan. Fifteen municipal health officers and barangay health workers – five from each of the three municipalities – attended the training which was conducted by MyDocNow in collaboration with GE Healthcare.

Since 2013, Pru Life UK – through Prudence Foundation – has supported the communities in Bantayan Island affected by typhoon Haiyan through the provision of relief and long-term recovery efforts. The Regional PRUvolunteer Programme, an initiative by Prudence Foundation in partnership with Habitat for Humanity Philippines, has brought together employee-volunteers from various Prudential business units in Asia to build disaster-resilient homes for families displaced by the super typhoon. In 2017, the five-year initiative culminated with the turnover of 133 homes, 183 motorized boats with fishing nets, and 140 pedicabs to families in Bantayan Island.

Pru Life UK has been supporting various community engagement initiatives across the country since its establishment in the Philippines. In 1996, the Insurance Commission granted the British subsidiary the license to operate and sell life insurance products in the country. Since then, Pru Life UK has expanded its reach to over 130 branches in the Philippines, with the biggest life agency force of almost 20,000 licensed agents, and has emerged as one of the top five life insurers. Pru Life UK is headquartered in Uptown Bonifacio, Taguig City.