‘Midwives make many sacrifices… isunga permi met panagsuporta ti gobyerno tayo’ — Former Brgy. Captain Pagtud lauds frontliners as Kalinga PLGU boosts maternal health support

PINUKPUK, Kalinga — Midwives and other barangay-based health workers make significant sacrifices to bring essential healthcare services closer to communities, according to former barangay captain Marco Pagtud.

Pagtud, who previously served as barangay captain of Dupag, Tabuk City, shared his personal experience during the inauguration of the Abundant Grace of God Maternity Center (AGGMC)–Pinukpuk Extension in Cullayangan, Junction Pinukpuk on Sept. 19, 2026.

He attended the ceremony as the representative of Kalinga Governor James S. Edduba, who cited the importance of strengthening maternal health programs, supporting healthcare workers and expanding access to services in communities.

Pagtud recalled how his mother, who previously worked as a midwife, would be called to assist women in labor. He sometimes accompanied her, allowing him to witness firsthand the difficulties mothers face during childbirth and the demands placed on health workers assisting them.

“Actually, nakita kon nu kasanu nga aganak ti mothers, ta idi ket nu ada agayab ken mother ko ket sumurutak ket makitak nu kasanu talaga nga aganak ti mothers. Ket makita talaga ti itsura ti mother nga aganak, haan laang nga diay rigat na, pati jy physical nga makitkitam,” he said.

The experience gave him a deeper appreciation of the physical challenges mothers endure and the work of midwives and other healthcare personnel who assist them.

Government support for health workers

Pagtud also underscored the continuing support of the provincial government for the health sector, saying government initiatives can have a greater impact when properly implemented at the community level.

“...Isunga permi met ti panagsuporta ti government tayo talaga ti health sector tayo. Ket ado ti initiatives ti gobyerno... mayat nu matungpal dagitoy tapnu dagitoy nga programa ket maipokus tu ken datayo,” he said.

He added that if the national government eventually assumes management of the provincial hospital, provincial resources could potentially be directed toward district hospitals and other healthcare facilities serving communities, including those in and around Junction Pinukpuk.

The provincial government has also provided direct assistance to AGGMC in bringing maternal services to geographically challenging communities.

In 2023, the Kalinga Provincial Government provided an ambulance to the AGGMC Tinglayan Extension in Bugnay after the facility identified the need for an additional emergency vehicle to serve pregnant women from surrounding barangays. The ambulance was intended to improve emergency transport for mothers in communities such as Bugnay, Buscalan, Loccong, Butbut Proper, Ngibat, Tulgao and Dananao.

Governor Edduba recalled the assistance during the Pinukpuk inauguration, describing the ambulance as more than a vehicle because it helped connect mothers in remote communities to emergency care.

AGGMC Director Georgia Macad had earlier sought the additional ambulance after the organization identified transportation as a critical need in Tinglayan, particularly following a maternal death in Tulgao. The provincial government responded to the request.

‘A lot of sacrifices’

Pagtud particularly recognized the sacrifices of midwives and other healthcare personnel working at the barangay level.

“Ti midwives talaga ket ado ti sakripisyo da karkaru ti healthcare workers ti barangay. Nakitak nga adu ti trabaho dagiti personnel ti health,” he said.

His appreciation was rooted in personal experience—seeing his mother leave home to assist mothers in labor and witnessing the realities of childbirth firsthand.

The challenges faced by health workers in remote areas are also documented by public health agencies. In Kalinga, midwives and other health workers sometimes travel long distances or walk for hours to reach geographically isolated and disadvantaged communities.

Bringing maternal care closer

The opening of the AGGMC–Pinukpuk Extension adds another facility providing maternal, child health and family planning services to women and families in Pinukpuk and nearby communities. It is AGGMC’s second extension, following its Tinglayan facility, with its main clinic in Magsaysay, Tabuk City.

The Pinukpuk extension offers pregnancy testing, prenatal care, normal spontaneous delivery, postpartum and well-baby care, lactation support, newborn screening, immunization and family planning services, among others.

For Pagtud, the new facility represents not only expanded access to maternal healthcare but also a reminder of the people who make such services possible—the midwives and frontline health workers who continue to serve mothers and families despite the demands of their work.