TACLOBAN CITY- Population Commission (Popcom) Executive Director Dr. Juan Antonio Perez lauded Eastern Visayas in achieving a 48 percent of contraceptives prevalence rate which is about three percent higher than the national average.
Popcom is targeting 65 percent prevalence rate on the use of contraceptives by 2022, or the last year of the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte.
“We still have a gap to fill (but) I’m happy that Region 8 is doing well. But we need to improve every year,” said Perez.
Perez said that there were factors that affected for the low contraceptives prevalence rate in the country.
One of which was the non-full implementation of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health (RPRH) Law.
He said that the issuance of a temporary restraining order by the court for the full implementation of the RPRH Law resulted for the low prevalence rate use of the contraceptives in the country.
In the last 52 months that the law was being implemented, 39 months was covered by the TRO, he said.
“This is a negative factor that we hope to be resolved soon,” Perez said.
Perez served as the guest speaker of the first regional family planning summit held in the city last Thursday (August 31).
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)

TACLOBAN CITY- The SM Foundation continues to extend assistance to areas hit by super typhoon ‘Yolanda’ that pummeled Leyte close to four years now.
Last Thursday(August 31), the SM Foundation formally turned over new two-story four classroom building to Cogon Central School (CCS) in Ormoc City.
It was learned that the donated building is the first new building erected within the CCS compound in 20 years.
The CCS is among the biggest public elementary schools in Ormoc with around 900 students. The city, among areas hard-hit by Yolanda, is still reeling from the aftermath of the 6.5 magnitude earthquake that hit the area last July 6.
Rojie Talle, 12 and a Grade six student, said that she is very grateful to the SM Foundation for their donation to their school.
“We are elated that after a long time of fervent prayer and waiting, finally the SM Foundation (has) given us a new school building. Words cannot express how excited we are to move in to our new classroom,” she said.
The facility was accepted by school officials led by its principal, Marita Albienda, and city councilor Nolito Quilang, representing Mayor Richard Gomez.
The SM Foundation was led by Carmen Linda Atayde, executive director for education.
Three Grade 6 sections will occupy the rooms with the remaining one classroom to be utilized for students who will be enrolled under the alternative learning system (ALS), said Juris Soliman of the SM Foundation.
The UBS, a Switzerland- based bank, partnered with the SM Foundation on the construction of this school building.
School principal Marita Albienda also expressed her gratitude to the school building donors.
“It is with great pride and honor that our school was chosen by the SM Foundation from among the various schools in Ormoc City division,” she said.
The school building is equipped with armchairs, teacher’s tables, wall fans, blackboards, and toilets.
It is also said to be the first PWD (person with disabilities)-friendly school in the city as it was built with ramps and toilets for PWDs. (JOEY A. GABIETA)

TACLOBAN CITY- The Department of Agriculture (DA) assured the public that they are prepared in case the avian influenza (AI) hits the region.
Dr. Gabriel Banga, DA-8 veterinarian, said that although Region 8 is still free from the virus, the department has come up with precautionary measures just in case the virus could enter the region.
“It’s not like we have been waiting for it to happen but we have been preparing that if this happens, we are already prepared on what to do,” Banga said.
The Avian Influenza Task Force has already been reactivated by the department, which is composed of the rapid action team, quarantine, surveillance, and the information dissemination team.
The same task force will also be enforced in all local government units across the region.
The department has been strict on implementing its preventive measures particularly the apprehension of wild and domestic birds and poultry products transported to the region which came from the 7-kilometer quarantine radius in San Luis, Pampanga, and the towns of Jaen and San Isidro in Nueva Ecija.
Surveillance on poultry farms in Samar, Leyte, and Biliran will also be conducted starting on Thursday, August 31, 2017, Banga said during a press briefing last Tuesday (August 29).
The department earlier revealed that the bird flu that has hit parts of Luzon is H5N6, a strain that is transmittable to humans. Although officials have assured that the virus is slow to spread to humans, Dr. Zaldy Villanobos of the DA warned that the virus can still be transferred to other animals through the infected human.
Villalobos also told that the virus may still mutate from a low pathogenic strain to a highly pathogenic one under certain conditions.
Despite this, the Regional Office of the DA has assured the public that poultry products from the region are safe from the avian influenza.
(MARWAH JAILANI, LNU Student Intern)