PALO, Leyte- With the increasing number of dengue cases in Eastern Visayas, the Department of Health in Region 8 (DOH-8) has reminded again the public to follow the 4S strategy.
Regional Director Minerva Molon of DOH-Region 8 revealed that as of July 11, there are already 4,809 dengue cases in the region with 19 deaths.
4S stands for Search and destroy mosquito breeding sites; employ Self-protection measures such as wearing of long pants and long-sleeved shirts and daily use of mosquito repellent; Seek early consultation; and Support fogging/spraying only in hotspot areas where increase in cases is registered for two consecutive weeks to prevent an impending outbreak.
DOH-8 is providing Dengue Rapid Test Kit to local health units for free to detect cases at an early stage and provide appropriate management and treatment.
Meanwhile, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III in a press statement has appealed to the general public to take the 4S strategy by heart stressing the importance of prevention.
“The rains have come and it only takes about two weeks for mosquitoes to breed and fully mature into dengue-causing mosquitoes,” Duque said.
(LDL/DOH-8/PIA-8, Leyte)

MAASIN CITY- The city government of Maasin is now on its way to complete the construction of a permanent evacuation center which is expected to mitigate the possible impact of disaster, the place being a storm surge and flood-prone city.
According to Local Disaster Risk Reduction Management Officer (LDRRMO) II Ryan Roque Antonio Cahambing, the city government of Maasin being led by City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO) chair, Mayor Nacional Mercado, now builds the first permanent evacuation center as one of the continuity programs on disaster preparedness.
Cahambing noted that the permanent evacuation center being built in Barangay Rizal is sourced from the city’s 20 percent economic development fund.
“It is now at 70 percent completion,” Cahambing said during the PIA Kapihan program recently.
“This is one of the continuing programs of Mayor Nacional Mercado on disaster preparedness,”he added.
“The continuous use of schools as evacuation centers where people seek safer refuge in times of disasters has been affecting the operation of classes in Maasin City, thus the need for fixed evacuation centers to lead people to even before a strong typhoon hit the place,” he quoted a message from Mayor Mercado.
He added that Mayor Mercado also requested the engineering office to procure foldable tents/cubicles that will serve as small rooms of families that will be evacuated in the center.
Cahambing further quoted Mayor Mercado saying that, should there be no occupant after a disaster, “the evacuation center can be temporarily used as a regular office for different departments that are related to disaster or storage rooms for disaster equipment.” (LDL/ESG/PIA-8, Southern Leyte)

Among the survivors was a priest

TACLOBAN CITY-At 13 passengers were rescued after their motorbanca capsized between the municipal seawaters of Padre Burgos and Limasawa, both in Southern Leyte on July 15.
Limasawa police along with Philippine Coast Guard and municipal emergency response personnel rescued the passengers and the boat owner of MB Ruel nearly two hours after it capsized due to the big waves and strong wind brought by tropical depression ‘Falcon’ that was battering the province at around 3:30 p.m.
Authorities identified the boat owner and crew as Ruel Leones Daling, 53, and Jerico Japson Embodo, 16, all residents of Barangay Lugsongan, Limasawa.
One of the passengers, Adelaida Palero, 65, however, died due to cardiac arrest. She was declared as dead on arrival by Dr. Jess Mae Rosete of the Limasawa rural health unit.
Among those rescued was Father Arthur Duarte,38 and parish priest of Barangay Triana, Limasawa.
Also rescued were Raul Marteja Oronos, 26; Megan Quiletorio Bardillon, 26; Angelica Cabales Bula, 24; Jona Mae Duhilag Budlat, 19; Eva Mae Duhilag Budlat, 22; Hady Mangana Senoc, 38; Hereberto Aclao Alatraca, 46; Clifford Bronio Alatraca, 39; Janette Napoles Alatraca, 39 yrs old; Mary Rose Sindo Semeros, 20; and Wenalyn Palero Parinas, 9.
(RONALD O. REYES)

TACLOBAN CITY- Newly-elected mayors will undergo an orientation course on good local governance where they are expected to craft their first 100 days plan and executive agenda, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) regional office here said.
The three-day comprehensive training slated on the last week of July aims to enhance the competencies of the newly-elected officials “in carrying out their new tasks as leaders in community development while promoting peace and resilience towards community development.”
DILG Eastern Visayas Regional Director Artemio Caneja said the orientation will prioritize newly-elected city and municipal mayors. Another orientation is set for re-elected and returning local chief executives in the region.
Caneja said there are separate orientations for provincial governors and mayors of highly urbanized cities to be handled by the DILG’s Local Government Academy.
“The orientation course is part of the Jumpstarting Local Governance component of the program for newly-elected officials, a continuing intervention of the DILG in its commitment to provide a harmonized and holistic capacity development delivery mechanism for local governments,” Caneja said.
Among the topics to be discussed are duties, responsibilities and accountabilities of elected officials; disaster preparedness protocols for LGUs; the role of leaders in building peaceful, secure and developed communities, and in advancing the anti-illegal drugs strategy; retooled community support program; wielding technology for the enhancement of local governance; and strategic management.
The orientation is centered on the rundown of critical steps of the first 100 days in office of a local chief executive.
After their first 100 days in office, the DILG regional chief said their performance is subject to evaluation and they will undergo training. The topic will depend on the areas where local officials need improvement.
“We call it Sharpening the Saw, a market-driven program where local governments match their requirements with the existing capacity development services and training packages of DILG,” Caneja added.
The orientation program is a pioneering initiative of the DILG, which aims to prepare the newly-elected local officials for their duties and responsibilities as leaders and make them development-oriented local officials who can promote local economic development.
(SARWELL Q. MENIANO/PNA)