For the Rotary Club of Cagayan de Oro East Urban (RCEU), caring for women is more than a single project. As an all-women Rotary club, women’s health and wellness is part of the club’s annual advocacy, reflecting its continuing commitment to helping women access health information, screening, and support.
On September 12, 2026, RCEU continued this advocacy through a Free Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening at the Cagayan de Oro Culture Center in Cugman.
The project was chaired by Past President Bebotte Chu and conducted in partnership with the Soka Gakkai International – Philippines Cagayan de Oro Medical Team and the Misamis Oriental Physicians-Nurses Foundation Incorporated (MOPFNI).
93 Women Took the Step to Get Screened
All participants received breast examinations. For cervical cancer screening, women aged 30 to 49 underwent Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA), a simple and low-cost screening method used to identify cervical pre-cancerous changes and early cancer.
Pap smears were conducted for women aged 49 and above, as well as for those identified by the doctors as needing the procedure.
The results demonstrated the value of making screening accessible.
Two participants had positive VIA results and were referred to Northern Mindanao Medical Center for further management, including recommended thermal ablation. One participant was also referred for a breast ultrasound following the breast examination.
The Pap smear results will be released by MOPFNI.
“Don’t Be Afraid to Get Checked”
During the medical talk, the doctors emphasized three simple but important messages:
Don’t be afraid to get checked.
Early detection saves lives.
Make this our gift to ourselves.
The message was echoed by Pres. Karina during her remarks.
Women often spend much of their time caring for their families, households, workplaces, and communities. In doing so, their own health can sometimes be placed at the bottom of the list.
Pres. Karina reminded the participants that taking care of one’s health should not be considered a luxury or something to postpone until everything else is taken care of. Regular self-checks and appropriate screening are acts of care for ourselves and for the people who depend on us.
One Woman Matters
For RCEU, the value of a community health project cannot be measured only by the number of people who attend.
Even if this effort helps just one woman discover a potential health concern early and seek the care she needs, it can make a profound difference.
That is what service means to RCEU. Every person reached matters. Every opportunity to encourage someone to seek care matters. And if an initiative helps protect even one life, then that service has made a meaningful difference in the community.
The two positive VIA results and the breast ultrasound referral are reminders that screening can open the door to further assessment and timely medical care.
A Continuing Commitment to Women’s Health
For the 93 women who participated, the activity was an opportunity to learn, get screened, and take the next step when further medical assessment was recommended.
For RCEU, it is another chapter in an advocacy that continues year after year.
As an all-women Rotary club, we understand the importance of creating spaces where women are reminded that their health matters, too.
Because women spend so much of their lives caring for others, sometimes the most important reminder is a simple one:
Don’t be afraid to get checked.
Early detection saves lives.
Make this our gift to ourselves.