Ex-Army nurse launches grassroots health program

A grassroots-oriented program called BeOne, a barangay lifesaver initiative, has been launched by a retired chief nurse of the Philippine Army. The program aims to improve the health of the country’s environment and its citizens.

The program was created by former Army Col. Maria Victoria “Mimi” Juan after she won $250,000 from a prestigious global recognition program.

She used part of the prize money to pilot the BeOne initiative, which stands for Barangay Empowerment on Nursing the Environment, in Pasay City on Thursday.

“Applying everything I learned from the military, I am now hoping to give back to the country in the most meaningful and impactful way possible, which is through the grassroots,” Juan said.

She won the Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award last November for her exceptional contributions to nursing and the medical field.

‘By serving in the military, I know very well what causes death to most people, and that is massive bleeding and cardiac arrest.’

The award came with a $250,000 prize, which Juan partly used for her advocacies, including the BeOne campaign.

One half of the two-pronged BeOne campaign is the “Barangay Lifesaver Program,” which focuses on empowering barangays to adequately respond to individuals in near-death situations, such as those experiencing massive bleeding and cardiac arrest.

“By serving in the military, I know very well what causes death to most people, and that is massive bleeding and cardiac arrest. So that will be our focus in terms of capacitating our barangays,” Juan said.

She added that the BeOne Lifesaver program will differ from traditional first aid training by primarily focusing on teaching how to respond to highly critical, near-death situations.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority shows that heart disease remained the top cause of death in the country in 2024. A previous study identified hemorrhage as a major cause of death from trauma in the Philippines, with the majority of these fatalities occurring before reaching the hospital.

“My hope is that through BeOne, we will be able to reduce a large number of highly preventable deaths in the country,” Juan said.

“Our ultimate ambition is that every citizen will know how to save people, including their loved ones, during a possible sudden death,” Juan added.

Meanwhile, Noah Manarang of Vetiver Farms has partnered with Juan for the program, focusing on environmental improvement and providing local livelihood through the release and propagation of vetiver grass along the Pasig River.

Manarang said the non-invasive grass can absorb pollutants from the river when planted on pontoons.

“The grass proved its effectiveness when it was initially planted in the river at the back of the army hospital, and it is now being utilized by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to prevent erosion of slopes,” Manarang said.

The propagation of the grass also has economic benefits, as those who plant it receive remuneration from Vetiver Farms. Additionally, the grass has medicinal properties when boiled.