DKT Philippines Foundation Unveils PH’s First Family Planning Mobile Clinic

DKT Philippines Foundation, Inc. officially launches the country’s first-ever Family Planning Ambulatory Clinic.

The nation's first family planning ambulatory clinic, the SODEX (Service Outreach and Distribution Extension Program) Mobile Clinic, was formally opened by the DKT Philippines Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to HIV prevention and family planning education. In order to close the gap between the desire of Filipinos to delay and limit pregnancy and the inequalities in the availability of family planning services, this innovative endeavor seeks to offer safe and affordable modern family planning methods to Filipinos living in remote areas.

DKT Philippines Foundation, Inc. officially launches the country’s first-ever Family Planning Ambulatory Clinic.

DKT Philippines Foundation, Inc. officially launches the country’s first-ever Family Planning Ambulatory Clinic.

DKT Philippines Foundation, Inc. officially launches the country’s first-ever Family Planning Ambulatory Clinic.

An innovation to enhance the DKT Philippines Foundation's SODEX Program and its role in accomplishing the National Objectives for Health and the DOH 8-Point Action Agenda is the SODEX Mobile Clinic.

“DKT Philippines Foundation’s mission is to provide couples with affordable, and safe options for family planning, and HIV/AIDS prevention through dynamic social marketing. The SODEX mobile clinic will provide a wide array of free family planning services especially in areas with lesser access to services like the geographically isolated or socially disadvantaged areas. The mobile clinic will bring the services closer to the people and meet them where they are.” ~Loida Almendares, the Foundation’s Director of Programs

From left: DKT Philippines Foundation, Inc.’s Director of Programs Loida Almendares, DKT Philippines Foundation, Inc.’s Chair of the Board Denise van Dijk, Department of Health Undersecretary and Cluster Lead of Public Health Services Cluster Dr. Glenn Mathew Baggao, Binangonan, Rizal Mayor Hon. Cesar M. Ynares, and Voluntary Surgical Contraception (VSC) Surgeon Dr. Luis R. Garcia, Jr..

Free family planning supplies like pills, condoms, injectables, and intrauterine devices (IUDs) will be available from the mobile clinic. Additionally, it will provide free non-scalpel vasectomy (NSV) and bilateral tubal ligation (BTL) under local anesthesia. A physician/surgeon with training in BTL, NSV, IUD, and subdermal implant services, an FP-trained nurse, an FP-trained midwife, circulating staff, and a driver are all onboarding the clinic. Before receiving the method, all clients will go through final screening and counseling to make sure they are healthy and informed enough to receive the services.

The DKT Philippines Foundation is collaborating with thirty local government units (LGUs) in Luzon with the goal of establishing long-term, sustainable partnerships with these LGUs in order to foster Filipinos' desire to actively participate in and contribute to government efforts to achieve universal health coverage for all.

“DKT Philippines Foundation and its Family Planning Mobile Clinic reinforce DKT’s commitment to ensuring nobody is left behind and provides free and quality reproductive health options including permanent methods, to those most remote and vulnerable communities. Made possible by the sales of family planning products under the TRUST Reproductive Health Choices brand, the mobile clinic ensures that people who still cannot afford the highly affordable TRUST products, or cannot access the reproductive health services they need in the public sector, are not left behind and still have free access to these services. It is a part of a total market approach, complementing the important work the local LGUs do on a daily basis.” ~Denise van Dijk, Chair of the Board of DKT Philippines Foundation

DKT Philippines Foundation, Inc.’s Chair of the Board Denise van Dijk delivers a message. 

The launch of the mobile clinic took place in Binangonan, Rizal, and it will travel for 119 days, providing free services in the provinces of Central Luzon, North Luzon, Cordillera, MIMAROPA, and CALABARZON. The clinic will operate from 8 AM to 6 PM for one or two days in a single location. The mobile clinic will serve communities in the Visayas and Mindanao regions by the following year. 

Binangonan, Rizal Mayor Hon. Cesar M. Ynares officially starts the program with a message.

Dr. Glenn Mathew Baggao, Department of Health Undersecretary and Cluster Lead of Public Health Services Cluster delivers a key message.

Development partners, family planning clients, and other reproductive health advocates from the public and private sectors officially attended the launch and blessing event.  Dr. Glenn Mathew Baggao, undersecretary of the Department of Health, was the honorary guest and speaker. The mayor of Binangonan, Rizal, Hon. Ynares, Cesar M.

The nation's top contraceptive brand, TRUST Reproductive Health Choices, is marketed by the social enterprise DKT Health, Inc. and is the source of funding for the free services and programs offered by the DKT Philippines Foundation.