Three-storey RHU of balbalan, Kalinga to be completed this 2025

Balbalan, Kalinga – The new three-storey Rural Health Unit in Balbalan, which features a teen center for abused and mentally challenged adolescents, is set to be completed this year, according to Mayor Almar Malannag.

In an interview with GURU Press Cordillera, the mayor said the new health center will have a bigger space to accommodate constituents and better facilities, adding that it will have a ‘teen center’ to attend to adolescents experiencing abuse and mental health concerns.

Malannag shared they specifically created the teen center to respond to the increase in suicide cases among the youth in the country, saying that they want to ensure not just the physical health but also the mental health of the people.

According to the mayor, the plan to construct the new RHU began when he met with the Local Finance Committee in 2023 where he raised the possibility of having a bigger health center to strengthen the town’s public health programs and cater to more residents.

Malannag said the LFC later agreed to use their P13 million Trust Fund for the cause, and thus the construction of the building commenced in 2023 with an additional P3 million budget from the regular funding of the LGU.

The mayor, however, admitted that they are looking for a source of additional funding to cover the finishing parts. He said he is grateful that the Department of Health has already committed to extending assistance in the construction.

Once completed, the mayor shared that the new, bigger, and improved RHU will provide better healthcare services to the iBalbalans.

“Dakkel iti tulong na, dakkel iti benefits na iti taga Balbalan daytoy barbaru nga RHU ta importante iti health tayo, haan tayo makatrabaho nga ustu nu haan nga mayat diay health tayo. Isu nga dagitoy nga plan-planuen tayo kas LCE iti Balbalan, dagiti plan-planuen tayo nga maaramid ditoy ket para iti Balbalan nga talaga ken ammuk nga maiaramid dagitoy bas agtitinnulong iti taga Balbalan,” he expressed.