A biking doctor from Cotabato nominee for outstanding health officer

By: Mlang News Bureau

A municipal doctor that hailed from the province of North Cotabato was one of the top five finalists for 2020 Outstanding Municipal Health Officer of the Philippines (Modelong Doktor Award), bestowed by the Association of the Municipal Health Officers of the Philippines.

Dr. Glecerio “Jun” Sotea, was instrumental in the establishment of the diabetes club and promote a healthy lifestyle through exercises and biking among sports-minded people and even the young people to prevent obesity and other forms of illness in the town of Mlang.

Though busy in his daily routine being the municipal health officer attending patients, the doctor has still time in going to the villages using his bicycle to look at the health conditions of the villagers.

He was even tagged as “the biking doctor” of people closed to him and even the local officials of the town.

In the heights of the patak kontra polio campaign of the Department of Health, Dr. Jun Sotea was leading the team in searching for children from 0 to 59 months old to ensure that no children will be left behind and in order to maintain a polio-free municipality.

“I am used to it already since I started being a municipal health officer in the town of Arakan. We used to walk miles away just to give health services to our people there,” Dr. Sotea narrated.

For 13 years being in the health practice, Dr. Sotea received numerous local, provincial, regional and national recognition and awards related to health.

These include the National Red Orchid Awards and Red Orchid Hall of Fame Awards from the Department of Health for support to the anti-smoking campaign of the agency that gathered positive responses from the smoker people of the town of Mlang.

Dr. Sotea was also recognized by the Philippine National Red Cross in supporting and implementing the Voluntary Blood Donation Program.

Every year the doctor also voluntarily gave and donate blood making him one among the gallooner awardee of the Philippine Red Cross.

Dr. Sotea was already undergone the final interview and validation of the panel of judges on March 06, in Metro Manila.

The judges will be choosing the top 1 as the Modelong Doctor Awardee which will be disclosed during the AMHOP National Convention held at Bacolod City in April.

Dr. Sotea thank Mayor Russel Abonado and Vice Mayor Joselito Pinol and RHU staff for their support to improve the level of health services even in the far-flung villages in the town of Mlang.

Other nominees include Dr. Salome Ferer-Arenduque of San Felipe, Zambales, Dr. Rey Caesar Bautista, City Health Officer, Talisay, Cebu, Dr. Girany Andrada-Farenas, Municipal Health Officer, Laguna Dr. Gilson Las Penas, Municipal Health Officer, Esperanza, Sultan Kudarat and Dr. Wendell Marcelo, of Iloilo.