Sentrong Sigla Movement 

is a joint project of the DOH and local government units. Its main strategy is certification of health
centers that are able to comply with standards set by the DOH.

Sentrong Sigla Certification has been identified as one of the components and strategies of this program.

The quality standards cover total systems quality for outpatient care and public services graduated into three levels.

 This quality standards list (QSL) covers the basic certification level or Level 1. The next higher levels of specialty
award and award for excellence,
 Levels 2 and 3 respectively have their own standards lists.
 Aside from the QSL, other tools available for use of the health facility staff are the Supervisory Forms (SF) and the
Facility Certification Form (FCF).

The Birth of Sentrong Sigla Quality Assurance Program (QAP)

Goal: To make DOH and LGUs active partners in providing quality health services.

Key Strategies:

1. Certification / Recognition Program (CRP)

2. Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) In 1999, QAP was renamed the Sentrong Sigla (“Center of Vitality”) Movement
(SSM).

Sentrong Sigla Movement

Goal: Quality health – quality health care, services and facilities.

Objectives: Better and more effective collaboration between DOH and LGUs.

Where DOH: serves as a provider of technical and financial assistance package for health care.

LGU: serves as prime developers of health systems and direct implementers of health programs.

Specific Objectives: * Institutionalization of quality assurance * SS certification targeting 50 % of health facilities in 2003 and
60% in 2004. Pillars: * Quality assurance * Grants and technical assistance * Awards *

Health promotions Phases: Phase| Period| Standards| I| 1998 – 2000| Input Quality | II| 2001 – 2004| Process Quality| III |
2005 – 2010| Outcome or Impact Quality| Guiding Principles for Sentrong Sigla Movement To ensure that Sentrong Sigla
remains focused on its quality goals and objectives, the following guiding principles are hereby adopted:

* Recognition for achieving good quality shall be the main incentive in SS certification. Advocacy and social mobilization
activities should be used to enhance the value of prestige and recognition. Other incentives shall not be overemphasized
and should only be secondary to recognition. * Quality improvement is an unending process.

SS certification should promote the continuing drive for ever – improving quality by providing multi – tiered and progressively
higher quality standards. * SS certification shall focus on core public health programs that have been proven to be most cost
– beneficial to the people such as child health, maternal care and family planning, prevention and control of infectious
diseases and promotion of healthy lifestyle.
Public health programs are best integrated, synergized and synchronized to achieve maximum health impact. Quality
improvement is a partnership that empowers all stakeholders. In SS, communication between the DOH and the health
facilities to be certified shall be open and shall be based on mutual trust and transparency.

All quality standards and the methods by which these shall be assessed shall be openly shared and discussed to ensure
clear understanding and strong commitment by all concerned. * In the same spirit, roles, responsibilities and contributions
shall promote appropriate counterpart and reciprocity. To ensure even distribution of quality health services, DOH
assistance shall be purposive, targeting to achieve quality improvement in health facilities that have been identified using
carefully selected health priorities and health needs. These should include health facilities in far – flung and underserved
areas, in congested urban centers or in marginalized communities. * To ensure objectivity and broad, varying perspectives,
SS assessment shall involve partners in health from non – DOH units such as other government and non – government
units agencies.

They shall be encouraged to actively advocate for and give support to SS. Sentrong Sigla Certification Phase I Phase I of
the certification component started in mid – 1999 and extended until 2002. Sentrong Sigla seals were given to health
facilities that met at least 80% of the standards. By mid – 2002, 44% of health centers, 13 % of district and provincial
hospitals, and 1 % of BHS have been certified Sentrong Sigla. Additional national awards were given to several health
facilities, the prize for which included P 1 Million for health centers, P 3 Million for district hospitals and P 5 Million for
provincial hospitals.

More than 135 Million pesos have been awarded to these facilities. The Sentrong Sigla certification during the first phase
was successful in terms of promoting interests and participation of local government units in raising the quality of health
care in public health facilities and in generating additional support from local chief executives for health and channelling
local resources to fund basic equipment, amenities and supplies of local health facilities.

The strategy also confirmed that a mechanism that recognizes good quality health services is a powerful tool to maintain
DOH leadership in health, with high potential for eventually creating health impact through more effective and better quality
public health programs.

Valuable Lessons during Phase I * the realization of the need for total systems quality standards that combine simple yet
basic input process and output standards. While the health facilities met input – only standards in Phase I, SSM itself had to
be positioned as a total quality movement.

Thus, consumers will equate SS with total quality. “Input only” certified health facilities would raise doubts on the SS seal as
a certification of genuine total quality. Changing the standards over the years, as originally planned, was difficult to
implement. Besides, The LGUs preferred a stable core of total system quality standards. * The importance of careful
selection of incentives. While it is important that incentives be attractive, these should also be appropriate, sensible and
sustainable.