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Clinical Skills Training: Advancing Cervical Cancer Elimination in GIDA and Underserved Areas of Northern Iloilo

Posted on by Jesus Randy RIvera
Clinical Skills Training: Advancing Cervical Cancer Elimination in GIDA and Underserved Areas of Northern Iloilo 1
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January 19–24, 2026 | Solina Beach and Nature Hotel, Northern Iloilo

From January 19 to 24, 2026, a five-day Clinical Skills Training (CST) was successfully conducted at Solina Beach and Nature Hotel, bringing together doctors, nurses, midwives, and frontline health leaders committed to improving women’s cancer care across Northern Iloilo and Western Visayas.

While cervical cancer elimination remains the ultimate end goal, the central focus of the training was competency-building—equipping healthcare providers with the practical skills, clinical judgment, and readiness needed to deliver early screening and timely treatment for women’s cancers. By strengthening frontline competencies, elimination targets are pursued through quality, consistency, and real-world preparedness at the point of care.

This activity forms part of the SUCCESS-FAP initiative and specifically addresses the needs of Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDA) and Unserved and Underserved Areas (UUA), where gaps in access and trained human resources continue to affect women’s health outcomes.

Clinical Skills Training: Advancing Cervical Cancer Elimination in GIDA and Underserved Areas of Northern Iloilo 2

Grounding Skills Where They Matter Most: GIDA and UUA

Designed around the realities of remote, island, and rural communities, the CST emphasized competency-first learning rather than targets alone. Participants strengthened skills in:

  • Recognizing early disease

  • Performing appropriate screening

  • Initiating timely treatment such as thermal ablation

  • Navigating referral pathways when higher-level care is required

This approach aligns with the SUCCESS-FAP vision of bringing quality cancer care closer to women’s communities, reducing delays and missed opportunities for early intervention.

Clinical Skills Training: Advancing Cervical Cancer Elimination in GIDA and Underserved Areas of Northern Iloilo 3

Hosted in Partnership, Anchored on SUCCESS-FAP

The training was led by Cancer Warriors Foundation, in partnership with Expertise France and UNITAID, together with the Department of Health Western Visayas Center for Health Development, Iloilo Provincial Health Office, and Western Visayas Medical Center.

The CST translated national and global policy commitments into hands-on, clinic-ready competencies under the SUCCESS-FAP framework.

What Is Clinical Skills Training?

Clinical Skills Training is a structured, competency-based education program designed to equip healthcare professionals—doctors, nurses, and midwives—with the practical abilities, sound clinical judgment, and professional attitudes required for safe, effective, and confident patient care.

Key focus areas included:

  • Cervical cancer screening and elimination strategies, grounded in early detection

  • Breast cancer screening, strengthening women’s cancer services beyond the cervix

  • Thermal ablation for eligible cervical pre-cancer lesions, emphasizing timely treatment

  • Referral pathways and continuity of care, critical in GIDA and UUA settings

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Learning was delivered through didactic lectures, return demonstrations, case discussions, and hands-on clinical practicum, ensuring immediate applicability in real-world settings.

Expert-Led, Mentor-Guided Learning

The CST was guided by a multidisciplinary team with deep expertise in clinical care and public health implementation:

  • MASTER TRAINER
    Dr. Cecilia Ladines-Llave – Technical Advisor, SUCCESS-FAP

  • NON-DOH MENTOR / FACILITATOR
    Dr. Larraine E. Malabonga – Obstetrics and Gynecology

  • NON-DOH TRAINING COORDINATOR
    Dr. Jessabeth B. Mercado – Obstetrics and Gynecology

  • TEAM LEADER
    Dr. Arnold P. Liwag – Medical Specialist III, Western Visayas Medical Center

  • MENTORS / FACILITATORS
    Dr. Aura Marie G. Tirasol – Western Visayas Medical Center
    Dr. Vanessa Dolendo – Western Visayas Medical Center
    Dr. Niñylyn C. Calicaran – Mentor and Facilitator
    Mr. Daniel Subong – DOH Western Visayas CHD

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Their collective guidance ensured that competencies developed were aligned with global standards while remaining locally feasible.

Participation from Provincial and Municipal Health Leaders

Participants included doctors, nurses, and midwives from the municipalities of Carles, Estancia, and Lemery, as well as representatives from the Iloilo Provincial Health Office. The mix of provincial and municipal practitioners enabled discussions on shared care models, task-sharing, and practical referral solutions essential for improving women’s cancer care in GIDA municipalities.

Also present was Dr. Jesus Randy “Bogs” Rivera, representing the Cancer Warriors Foundation, reinforcing the bridge between clinical training, advocacy, and community-level implementation.

Clinical Skills Training: Advancing Cervical Cancer Elimination in GIDA and Underserved Areas of Northern Iloilo 6

Witnessed and Supported by Key Health Officials

The training was witnessed and supported by regional and provincial leaders, emphasizing strong institutional commitment to capacity-building:

  • Dr. Maria Socorro Quiñon – Provincial Health Officer II

  • Dr. Rodney Labis – Provincial Health Officer I

  • Mr. John Richard Lapascua – Nurse V, DOH Western Visayas CHD

Their presence underscored the shared recognition that competent frontline providers are central to achieving cervical cancer elimination.

Clinical Skills Training: Advancing Cervical Cancer Elimination in GIDA and Underserved Areas of Northern Iloilo 7
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Five Days of Progressive Learning

  • Day 1: Foundations of cervical and breast cancer care, HPV and screening strategies, pre-tests, image recognition, and program orientation

  • Day 2: Cervical image interpretation, VIA, Pap smear, HPV DNA testing, IPC, counseling, and thermal ablation demonstrations

  • Day 3: Supervised clinical practicum at Estancia RHU (27 HPV tests, 4 Pap smears, 1 VIA)

  • Day 4: Continued practicum at Carles PCF (24 HPV tests, 15 Pap smears, 2 VIA), monitoring and sustainability planning

  • Day 5: Action planning, facility presentations, post-tests, graduation, and closing ceremonies

 

Clinical Skills Training: Advancing Cervical Cancer Elimination in GIDA and Underserved Areas of Northern Iloilo 8

Moving Forward

This Clinical Skills Training: Advancing Cervical Cancer Elimination in GIDA and Underserved Areas of Northern Iloilo reinforces a core principle: elimination is achieved not only through targets, but through competencies.

By investing in early screening skills, timely treatment capabilities, and strong referral systems, the training strengthens a frontline workforce capable of delivering better care for women’s cancers today—while steadily advancing toward cervical cancer elimination tomorrow.

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📸 Training Highlights

Jesus Randy RIvera

A graduate of the esteemed Far Eastern University - Nicanor Reyes Medical Foundation, Dr. Rivera is a radiation oncologist by profession, equipped with specialized training in IMRT and prostate brachytherapy. His expertise has been honed through experiences at renowned institutions such as the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas and the Chicago Prostate Center in Chicago, among others.However, his contributions extend far beyond the clinical realm. Dr Bogs Rivera is the visionary founder of CerviQ, an advocacy group passionately committed to eradicating cervical cancer in the Philippines. Through innovative screening programs, leveraging artificial intelligence and remote diagnostic technologies, CerviQ strives to increase access to cervical cancer screenings in communities, facilitating early detection and potentially life-saving interventions.His leadership not only empowers healthcare professionals but also empowers communities, enabling barangay health workers to conduct screenings efficiently and accurately, with rapid turnaround times for results. Dr. Bogs Rivera embodies the intersection of medical expertise and humanitarianism, dedicated to improving healthcare outcomes and championing the cause of public health in the Philippines.