Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) Philippines’ BACK-to-BAKuna program has been named the 2026 Outstanding CSR Project for Health, recognizing an approach that helped improve childhood vaccination completion by addressing behavioral and logistical barriers faced by caregivers.
The flagship community health initiative received the distinction at the League of Corporate Foundations CSR Guild Awards, which recognizes impactful and sustainable corporate citizenship programs.
Piloted in Iloilo City and Janiuay municipality in August 2025, BACK-to-BAKuna was designed to address a persistent gap in routine immunization: families may begin vaccinating their children but fail to complete required doses because of missed schedules, concerns or logistical difficulties.
The program supplemented existing public vaccination services with group vaccine cards, milestone calendars, digital reminders, transportation support and health promotion activities.
Using a quasi-experimental approach, RMHC said intervention groups recorded greater improvements in vaccination completion than control groups. Caregivers who engaged peers, encouraged others and attended vaccination activities together were also more likely to complete their children’s schedules.
“The recognition of BACK-to-BAKuna reflects our commitment to creating meaningful and sustainable solutions that respond to the real needs of Filipino families,” RMHC Philippines Executive Director Marie Angeles said.
The initiative is now being integrated into existing local immunization systems to extend its impact beyond the pilot communities.
RMHC partnered with local government units and provided capacity-building support and an Adaptation Playbook, allowing local health teams to incorporate tested behavioral approaches into routine immunization and health promotion activities.
The strategy is intended to turn initial access to vaccines into completed protection by helping families follow through with required doses.
