CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (PIA) -- The Department of Health-Center for Health Development (DOHCHDNM) launched Heart and Cancer Awareness Month 2024 with an emphasis on healthy lifestyles and preventing lifestyle-related diseases.

Dr. Tristan Jediah V. Labitad, cluster head of the Non-Communicable Diseases Cluster (NCDC), gave emphasis on the importance of a healthy lifestyle and encouraged everyone to maintain good physical and mental well-being in order to promote a higher quality of life.

Labitad also encouraged all the DOH-CHDNM employees to undergo the Philippine Package of Essential Non-Communicable Diseases Interventions (PhilPEN) Risk Assessment that the NCDC prepared. Doc TJ highlighted the importance of being risk assessed using the PhilPEN Assessment, which plays a crucial role in identifying and mitigating all health risks.

Sharmaine Zarate of the NCDC provided an introduction to heart and cancer diseases. June Erika Obsioma of the Infectious Diseases Cluster (IDC) hosted a question-and-answer game with topics related to the month's celebration.

Dr. Bradley Bob dela Calzada, William Cayaba, Gabby Valdez, and Reinier Sabala then sang a Valentine's serenade. Meanwhile, the opening celebration was concluded by a Zumba for All.

February is declared the Philippine Heart Month, and February 4 is internationally marked as World Cancer Day. These two celebrations are very important to raise awareness about heart diseases and cancer and to encourage their prevention, management, and treatment as a serious and growing health concern for all of us Filipinos. (DOH-CHDNM/PIA-10)