Delivery Health Care Providers’ Compliance with the Unang Yakap Protocol and Its Perceived Effects on Neonatal and Maternal Outcomes: Proposed Policy Enhancement in a Provincial Hospital in Cotabato

Immediate newborn care is crucial in improving neonatal survival and maternal well-being. This study aimed to determine the level of compliance of delivery health care providers with the Unang Yakap Protocol and assess its perceived effects on neonatal and maternal outcomes in a Provincial Hospital in Cotabato as a basis for proposing policy enhancements to increase compliance with the protocol. A quantitative descriptive-correlational research design was employed involving 60 nurses and midwives selected through total enumeration. Data were gathered using a survey questionnaire. Findings revealed that health care providers complied highly with immediate and thorough drying, skin-to-skin contact, proper cord clamping and cutting, and non-separation during breastfeeding initiation. The protocol was also perceived as highly effective in improving neonatal and maternal outcomes. No significant differences in compliance were found when respondents were grouped by age, sex, and years of service, whereas significant differences were observed by relevant training (p < 0.001). No significant relationship was found between compliance and perceived outcomes (p = 0.58). The absence of a significant relationship between compliance and perceived outcomes suggests that improving maternal and neonatal outcomes requires not only adherence to the Unang Yakap Protocol but also strengthened institutional support, continuous competency-based training, and adequate resources, all of which are reflected in the proposed policy enhancement aimed at increasing compliance with the Unang Yakap Protocol in a Provincial Hospital in Cotabato.