The UP Samahan ng mga Kalusugang Sangay ng Agham (UP KASANAG) spearheaded the 1st Public Health Educators Week (PHEW) in January 25-29, 2008 in UP Manila. Other participating organizations wereAssociation of Physical Therapy Students (APTS), Bigkis ng mga Iskolar para sa Bayan tungo sa Makabuluhang Pagbabago (Bigkis UPM), Collegiate Association of Speech Pathologist (CASP), Mu Sigma Phi Fraternity, Phi Lambda Delta Sorority, Public Health Arts Circle (PHAC), Social Transformation Advocacy towards Public Health (STAPH), Society of Occupational Therapy Majors (SOTM), and UP Hygiene Society (HySoc). PHEW is a week-long celebration of organization with public health initiatives, especially public health education. There was a PHEW Exhibit at the PGH Central Block from January 25-29.
Strum for Public Health Education Concert
The highlight of PHEW was the Strum for Public Health Education Concert featuring the Sta. Isabel Guitar Ensemble and NAMCYA Guitar Champions Eugene Sean Aleta and Kevin Echaluse at the PhilAm Life Auditorium on January 26. The concert repertoire was composed of guitar compositions from the Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Contemporary Periods. Some of the pieces performed were Praetorius’s Bransle dela Rayne, Mozart’s Minuetto, Penella’s El Gato Montes, and the Brazilian folksong Sambalele. Prof. Dong de Dios, the ensemble master, also gave a short lecture on the history of guitar entitled The Guitar through the Centuries. Sta. Isabel Guitar Ensemble is composed of Liomar Mero, Ian Jacob Lavado, Ericson Malelang, Juan Miguel Abella, Dan Kenneth Alberto and their mentor Edgardo de Dios. Kevin Echaluse played Legnani’s Caprice Op.20 no.2 and Dyens’s Tango en Skai. Eugene Aleta performed Tarrega’s Capricho Arabe and Gragnani’s Sonatine Op. 6. The concert ended with a standing ovation.
Public Health Education Activities
A public health lecture entitled Common Zoonotic Diseases from Pets was delivered by Dr. Alice Bungay of the Department of Microbiology, College of Public Health on January 27. There was also a film-showing of the 1st Quisimbing-Escandor Film Festival Winners and Entries on January 28 in cooperation with the Mu Sigma Phi Fraternity. Both activities were held at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Conference Room. A thanksgiving mass was also celebrated at the PGH Chapel on January 29 at 5 PM.
New Connections among Organization for Public Health Initiatives
PHEW marks the start of connection among different organizations and envisions a strong partnership among the organizations to achieve bigger and effective public health projects in and out the UP Manila Campus.
