Mandaluyong, Pasig women get essential healthcare services

More than 430 women and community members received free medical services this week as part of an initiative to bring essential healthcare directly to underserved sectors in Mandaluyong and Pasig.

The back-to-back medical missions, organized by for National Women’s Month, focused on removing barriers to specialized care. On 13 March, teams provided services to more than 330 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) at the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong.

The following day, the mission served over 100 residents at a pilot school in Pasig.

To ensure comprehensive access, the missions utilized digital health systems and mobile medical teams. Patients received screenings for blood sugar and cholesterol, vital signs monitoring, electrocardiograms, urinalysis, and X-ray examinations. Beneficiaries also received private consultations with doctors and free medicines.

“Access to healthcare is closely tied to access to justice,” said Department of Justice Undersecretary Margarita Gutierrez, a supporter of the initiative. “When women are given the support they need — whether through legal assistance or basic health services — we empower them to live with dignity.”

The outreach addressed specific feminine health needs that are often difficult for low-income or institutionalized women to access. Partners provided sustainable menstrual pads, feminine hygiene products, and anastrozole, a maintenance medication for breast cancer patients.

The missions were supported by the Bureau of Corrections, Unilab, Natco Life Sciences Inc. and 1Life Philippines.

Organizers said the effort is part of a continuing push to expand healthcare access for vulnerable communities and ensure that geography or socio-economic status does not prevent women from receiving life-saving diagnostics.