TIM eMagazine Vol.3 Issue 1
‘”It is peak season and there could never be a better time to seize
such an opportune moment to train the Boholanos involved in the
tourism/travel industry, said Dr. Francis Lavapie, PHA CPR Council
chair. With the onset of the summer season, the CWW-Bohol run is a
perfect fit.
“Bohol has always been a one of our country’s tourism jewels,”
commented PHA President Dr. Jorge Sison. “With the influx of
foreign and local tourists in Bohol for its virginal beaches, majestic
landscape, the need to train people to save lives becomes more
and more immediate,” he added.
“Most tourist/entertainment facilities, resorts and beach parks
in the Philippines do not always have CPR-skilled staff responders
ready and the life-saving gadget called automated external
defibrillators (AEDs). Yet our adventurous streak takes precedence
thus the demand for travel has been on the upswing. This reality
prompted the PHA to take the DOT as a potent partner,” said Dr.
Raul Lapitan, CWW director in charge.
Philippine Tarsier
Mahogany Forest,
Tagbilaran, Bohol
The CWW-Bohol was a huge success because it got multi-
sectoral support -- Director Tamano, Bohol Gov. Edgardo Chatto,
Tagbilaran Mayor John Gessnel Yap II, the DOT Region 7 (Cebu)
and Bohol Satellite office, Alona Tropical Beach Resort, Allied Care
Experts (ACE) Medical Center in Tagbilaran City.
“We have to live up to our country’s reputation as a hospitable
holiday haven by equipping and empowering the industry’s
frontliners with life-saving skills,” said Dr. Jane Regner-Ramiro,
CWW-Bohol point person. “Having CPR-skilled staff and possessing
AED-equipped facilities maximizes the credibility of resorts, hotels
and beaches into tourism safe havens that tourists could enjoy
to the hilt.” Regner-Ramiro is one of the four PHA members in
cardiology practice in Tagbilaran.
Yap II said “there’s a big challenge to bring CPR outside the
medical profession,” he said, making a subtle reference to the
manifestations of past natural tragedies that wreaked the province.
“We must focus on being a CPR-ready city ready to respond to
medical emergencies as learning the skill is critical in situations that
could mean life or death.”
“Making Bohol one of the PHA’s CWW sites is a blessing,
especially in these times when health training is what our province
direly needs,” Chatto mused. “This could save our families and
neighbors to further our knowledge in survival and disaster
response methods,” he added.
“Exciting and I like that’’, was his quick reply when told by the
PHA doctors that part of the CPR-Ready PH/CWW vision is to see
hotels/resorts/restaurants with the “We are CPR-Ready” seal before
2021.
“We are also bringing CPR to every Filipino home,” said Dr. Raul
Lapitan, CWW director in charge. Lapitan is the engineer of the
CWW while Dr. Alex Junia is the architect of the CPR-Ready PH
Campaign. Both are past PHA presidents.
Philippine College of Physicians-Bohol Chapter President
Dr. Marbert John Cardino concurred with this ambitious vision.
“We greatly emphasize the value of CPR among laypersons now.
We need to involve more persons in the community to spread
awareness about the implications of heart disease and how to
enable witnesses to be augment the link between public response
and professional medical attention.”
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