SDRC receives P3M grant from USAID

De La Salle University-Manila’s Social Development Research Center (SDRC) received a PhP 3,093,500 grant on March 25 from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) for a research titled “Sentrong Sigla Movement: A Formative Assessment and Program Implementation Review”.

The Sentrong Sigla Movement (SSM) is considered one of the most significant innovations in the health sector today. Initiated by the Department of Health (DOH) in 1999, it aims to improve the quality of public health services by recognizing the efforts of local government units (LGUs) and certifying LGU health facilities which meet the basic standards and requirements needed to deliver quality services.

While much attention has been focused on the aspects of certification, advocacy, promotion, and the distribution of cash awards, questions regarding the effects of certification on the facilities’ performance, provision of services, and clients’ perceptions, have yet to be raised.

The study seeks to assess the initial phase of the movement by reviewing the process of its implementation, determining the perceptions of key stakeholders, establishing results and effects, gaps and problems, program implementation, and proposing recommendations to assist the DOH and LGUs in enhancing the SSM implementation.

Headed by Dr.Exaltacion Lamberte, she is joined by an interdisciplinary team composed of social science faculty researchers, including Dr.Ben Teehankee, Dr. Jesusa Marco, Ma. Angeles Lapeña, and Dr. Alicia Pingol.

The study will be completed by November.