By Rusieljs G. Lunasco

The College of Medicine Student Council’s “The AHA Movement – Alertong Hero Ako” has been chosen as a recipient of this year’s Be Like Jesse Youth Grant Competition by the Jesse M. Robredo Foundation.

From 851 applications nationwide, the COM Student Council was among those included in the 20 shortlisted applicants who pitched their projects to a panel of experts. On September 18, it was announced that the AHA! Movement was named as one of the five recipients that would be given funding assistance.

Members of the CPU College of Medicine Student Council.

The AHA! Movement is a pilot project that would be shaping youth champions of health care inside their homes in 2 barangays in Leganes, Iloilo. It aims to equip SK officials and members of the youth ages 10-25 year old in 2 barangays on Basic First Aid to provide immediate care among household members who are ill and injured.

“As medical students, we have been trained for First Aid and we will be crafting The AHA! Movement Heroes Guide, an interactive and youth-friendly first aid guide that will be left in the households after they have been enabled through online sessions of training,” said College of Medicine Student Council Governor Jasper Ruby Vijar and AHA! Movement Chairperson Jasper Ruby Vijar.

“In the grassroots with controlled social interaction, the SK Officials can assist us in monitoring and assessment of the project. Through this, we could assist frontliners by reducing the inflow of patients in the hospital by finding immediate solutions to common household accidents and illnesses using readily available resources at the comforts of our homes.”

The idea behind the project came up months after isolation because of the pandemic. Aside from the growing number of COVID-patients, the College of Medicine Student Council saw the need in efficiently dealing with non- COVID patients who are also seeking hospital care.

Since they are restricted by protocols to assist the frontliners, the Student Council thought of assisting them from the grassroots, by creating more heroes inside the homes in the community with the The AHA! Movement.

SK officials doing survey on common household accidents and illnesses in Barangay Guintas.

“Despite the lack of funds of our council that could limit socio-civic projects since we had to reduce the student council fee to cater for more relevant fees in our tuition fees, this is a good opportunity for medicine students to realize that achieving Magaling at Mabuting Doctor can go beyond the corners of our room (or screen), and moreover in a pandemic, there is something that we can do as a community. It starts with identifying a problem and banking on your innovative idea, “said Vijar.

Other members of the College of Medicine Student Council expressed their gratitude to Be Like Jesse Youth (BLJY) for giving them a platform to help the community despite the pandemic.
“I am really honored and grateful to BLJY, to be given an opportunity to empower the youth of today that they too can be the heroes that they always looked up to. I am also grateful that I, in some way can assist our current heroes, the front liners in their fight against this pandemic through the AHA! Movement”, said College of Medicine Student Council Board Member and AHA! Movement Project Manager External Paul Landoy.

“I want to take this time to personally thank BJLY foundation for accepting our call to help build a resilient community with the youth in the front lines. We are so grateful for this privilege of partnering with them in this endeavor. We look forward for this project to be successful and impactful to help ease the burden we all are facing right now. We hope that this partnership is only the start of more empowering opportunities that will create a bright future for us and the next generation. Shalom!” said the College of Medicine Student Council Vice Governor and AHA! Movement Project Manager Internal Jason Baldimor.

Be Like Jesse is a youth grant competition launched in 2018. It calls for proposals from youth-led organizations that promote the ideals of the late former DILG Secretary Jesse M. Robredo that advocates for youth participation in nation-building and promotion of development through the empowerment of communities.

The College of Medicine Student Council, along with four other recipients will be awarded in a virtual ceremony on October 17, 2020.