TACLOBAN CITY –Mayor Aran Boller of Matuguinao town, Samar has asked President Rodrigo Duterte to penalize local officials who continue to support the members of the New People’s Army (NPAs).
Boller said that the fight to quell the insurgency problem will not be achieved if some local officials will continue to extend support to the rebels.
“I hope the President will penalize these local chief executives who are not doing their obligation to eradicate insurgency problem,” Boller said.
Support of other LGU officials is very important to ensure that members of the communist groups who are on the run from the operation of government forces have no more place to hide, he added.
“If only all towns in Samar are united in this advocacy to end insurgency problem, these people will no longer have place to hide because they already loss support from the ground,” the Matuguinao mayor said.
The town mayor added that the communist group are thriving because as they continue to receive support from the people.
He added that another reason why the NPAs continue to exist due to support from several politicians who are using them for their own advantage especially during election season.
“During campaign and election time, these NPAs become goons of politicians to ensure that they will win,”he said.
Since winning as local chief executive of Matuguinao town, Boller had started his campaign against local communist group who are operating in the municipality urging members and supporters to return to the folds of the law and live a normal life with their respective families.
Last month, after giving ultimatum, 118 communist members and supporters surrendered to the military and denounced armed group of the Communist Party of the Philippines.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
Samar mayor urges Pres. Duterte to sanction local officials who support NPA members
DTI awards Tacloban City as sixth most improved HUC and 20th most competitive in government efficiency- HUC category
TACLOBAN CITY-In the recently concluded Regional Competitiveness Committee First Quarter Meeting Cum Region 8 CMCI 2020 Awarding Ceremony held on February 24, 2021 via Zoom, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-8 recognized the city of Tacloban for faring well in two categories of government efficiency, namely most improved (Rank six) and most competitive (Rank 20) in the Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index (CMCI) 2020.
CMCI is an annual ranking of Philippine cities and municipalities developed by the National Competitiveness Council through the Regional Competitiveness Committees (RCCs) with the assistance of the United States Agency for International Development.
Participated by 32 other highly urbanized cities (HUCs) in the country, 2020 rankings of cities and municipalities were based on the sum of their scores on four pillars: economic dynamism, government efficiency, infrastructure, and resiliency, while provincial rankings were based on population and income weighted average of the Overall scores of cities and municipalities under a province.
Recognitions like this is a proof that a strong governance coupled with cooperation from the different concerned sectors, a community reaches remarkable milestones together.
The city government, under Mayor Alfred Romualdez, expressed gratitude to the DTI-8, headed by Regional Director Celerina Bato, for the recognition.
(TACLOBAN CITY INFORMATION OFFICE)
DOH extends vaccination due to low coverage
Measles, rubella and polio shots ended last Feb.
TACLOBAN CITY-The measles-rubella and polio vaccination involving children here in the region has been extended until March 7 of this year after the campaign failed to reach its 100 percent target.
The measles-rubella and polio vaccination was supposed to end on Feb.28, Jelyn Lopez Malibago, regional information officer of the Department of Health (DOH), said.
But with the campaign only managed to cover just more than 70 percent, the department has to extend for at least a week to reach their 100 percent goal, she added.
For the measles vaccination involving nine months to 59 months olds, only 76.74 percent have been achieved while for the rubella and polio inoculation covering zero to 59 months, it only managed to reach 76.25 percent.
Malibago said that they are optimistic that the extension will help them reach their 100 percent goal with the continued help of the media, among others, on the information dissemination aspect.
“We remain positive that we can achieve our target with your help. Please continue to help us in disseminating that these vaccines have been proven and tested to be safe and effective for 40 years,” she said, adding that vaccines have “saved thousands of children from measles, rubella, and polio.”
Malibago said that the failure why they failed to reach their 100 percent were due to fear of parents and guardians of possible side effects.
The DOH in the region has targeted 458,763 children aged nine to 59 months old for measles vaccination but during its entire month campaign, only 352,973 children have received the shots. This means, 106,690 have to be vaccinated.
While for rubella and polio vaccination drive, only 403,103 children aged zero to 59 months old have got the said vaccines. About 132,554 children need to be inoculated during the extension.
Among the provinces, only Biliran, Samar, and Eastern Samar managed to reach the 80 percent coverage with the rest of the provinces only managed to reach between 73 percent to 78 percent for measles vaccination.
Among the cities, Maasin posted the lowest with only 63.30 percent coverage.
Meanwhile, as to the rubella and polio vaccination, the province of Biliran topped the highest number of vaccinated children at 83.21 percent with Northern Samar as the lowest with 67. 39 percent.