The City Government of Isabela, through the City Local Health Board chaired by City Mayor and CLHB Chair Sitti Djalia Turabin-Hataman, convened its 3rd Quarter Local Health Board Meeting, November 24. The meeting reinforces the city’s commitment to building stronger and more responsive local health systems that address the needs of every Isabeleño. Present were Councilor Asan Al-Ameen Camlian and Rural Health Physician for RHU-3 Malamawi, Dr. Sulaiman Tahsin, among others.
The agenda includes the endorsement of the Local Investment Plan for Health (LIPH) 2026–2028, the Annual Operational Plan (AOP) 2026, and the Terms of Partnership for 2026, all of which guide the city’s medium-term health strategies.
Updates will also be presented on the Zamboanga Peninsula Regional Athletic Association (ZPRAA) Committee on Health, along with accomplishment reports on Disaster Risk Reduction and Management in Health (DRRM-H) and mosquito-borne disease control. These discussions aim to ensure that programs remain aligned with current community health priorities and emerging challenges.
Mayor Turabin-Hataman also shared the study on local government health budgeting by the Unilab Center for Health Policy and the Ateneo Policy Center. Isabela City, one of the five LGUs assessed, was found to have limited health investment due to budget constraints but was identified as Capacity Rich, with strong systems and high absorptive capacity. She noted that the city performs well health-wise, and emphasized that Isabela City has the systems in place and now needs the resources to maximize impact. Also announced was the new Rural Health Physician for the East. (Words by SJ Asakil/Photos by M. Santos, CIO)
