TACLOBAN CITY – The region’s 100 millionth symbolic babies will turn five on Saturday(July 27) and much is expected on their overall development needs with the growing challenge to engage their families in their capacity to respond to these needs.
The Commission on Population and Development(Popcom) Regional Office VIII continues to monitor the status of these children as a reiteration of the agency’s advocacy through the years that every child should be born wanted, and basic rights on social services such as health and education are ensured for the child’s total development.
Aside from monitoring their overall status, Popcom-8 will likewise be providing them with school supplies and other basic necessities as they turn five years old this year.
Region 8 has six 100 millionth babies, Rian Go of Tacloban City; Miller Josh Tondo of Tanauan, Leyte; Catalea Blaire of San Juan, Southern Leyte; Sunrey Abonales of Catarman, Northern Samar; Jody Cervantes of Borongan City and Joven Rey Arsenio of Catbalogan City in Samar.
The birth of these symbolic babies in 2014 was considered a demographic event which was an institutional reality-check that the country was then registering a 100-million population record. The country’s population is estimated to reach 108,885,096 Filipinos by December 31, 2019 based on a 1.7% growth rate posted in the 2015 census by the Philippine Statistics Authority.
Also, the birth of these babies five years ago called for paying proactive attention to the importance of maternal and neonatal health as well as promote responsible parenthood and family planning among Filipino families. It was also seen as a challenge to the Philippines as its socio-economic and political situation struggle to give the citizenry a better quality of life.
This year’s birthday of the 100 millionth babies, carries the theme “Bigyang halaga ang bawat Pinoy sa Pag-unlad, Ngayon at Bukas. Sa Ikalimang Taon ni Baby, Pagtutulungan Tungo sa Maunlad at Malusog na Kinabukasan”.
Popcom VIII will also utilize a tool that will help determine the type of support that still needs to be extended to the symbolic babies and their respective families in the coming years.
The birth of the 100 millionth symbolic babies nationwide is still a challenge to the government as these babies are expected to demand an increase of the family’s capacity to provide for the needs of their children. The attainment of zero unmet need for modern family planning envisions to help millions of poor Filipino families achieve their desired family size through access to FP information and services.
(LIZBETH ANN A.ABELLA)
EV’s 100 millionth symbolic babies turn 5
Dengue cases in E. Samar is in the status of both alert and epidemic
(SDC/PIA8-Eastern Samar)
BORONGAN CITY-The Eastern Samar Provincial Health Office (ESPHO) reported that the dengue fever suspected cases in Eastern Samar is both in the alert and epidemic status.
According to Provincial Health Office (PHO) Chief, technical section, Dr. Rodel Delgado, the province fell below the alert threshold for dengue for 13 weeks, but this week, the province breached both the alert and epidemic threshold for dengue.
Delgado said that the municipalities of Balangkayan, Lawaan, Maydolong, San-Julian, Sulat and Taft as well as the city of Borongan, have also breached the epidemic threshold while the municipalities of Balangiga, Giporlos, Llorente and San Policarpo have reached the alert threshold.
In a press conference on July 22, Delgado reported that Eastern Samar has 130 new cases of suspected dengue fever over the past three weeks.
The areas reporting the most cases of suspected dengue these past three weeks are Borongan City with 59 cases, Maydolong-13 cases, Taft-12 cases, Sulat-11 cases, and San-Julian with nine cases.
He said that from January 1 to July 19, 2019, the province has a total of 803 suspected dengue fever cases in 22 out of 23 municipalities and one city, and 276 barangays affected.
“This represents an 86 percent increase of dengue cases in the province compared with a similar period last year. This increase of dengue cases for the year was mainly due to the high number of cases seen during the first 12 weeks of the year and the increase of cases in the past three weeks,” Delgado said.
Most affected are Borongan City with 147 cases, Guiuan-107, Taft-58, Quinapondan-54, Gen. Mac-Arthur-51, and Maydolong-51.
Some nine deaths of suspected dengue cases were also reported since the start of 2019.
The most recent death was recorded in Taft – one on June 29.
Four deaths were recorded in Guiuan, one in Gen. Mac-Arthur, one in Hernani, one in Borongan City, and one in Maydolong.
Delgado further said, “Among the 803 cases reported, 144 had consultation at the Out Patient Department (OPD), while 659 cases were admitted in the government and private hospitals.”
Most of the recorded cases were children aged 11 to 20 years old with 339 cases; followed by aged one to 10 years old with 313 cases; 21-30 years old with 73; 31-40 years old with 33 cases; less than one year old with 22 cases; 41-50 years old with 15 cases; and over 50 years old with eight cases.
The ESPHO calls the public to be aware or rather seek early consultation if suffering from fever.
Dengue is an acute infectious disease manifested initially with fever.
The fever which may last from two to seven days with the following signs and symptoms: joint and muscle pain, severe headache and pain behind the eyes, weakness, and no appetite.
Some symptoms like vomiting, internal bleeding, skin rashes and abdominal pains are danger signs.
During the press conference, Provincial Administrator Nelson Cortez said that the province has already purchased dengue rapid tests.
He added that the hospital will soon open additional wards in the ESPHO exclusive for pediatric and adult dengue patients.
The Sangguniang Panlalawigan also approved last Friday, July 19 the authority of the governor to enter a memorandum of agreement to private clinics with lab services such as computerized tomography( CT)Scan.
Then there is the agreement with private pharmacies, if in case there is no medicine in the government hospitals.
The patients can get the medicines in the private pharmacy with assistance from the Malasakit Center (MC) which has an initial fund of P5 million.
The MC will be the one to pay for all the medicines and laboratory tests of patients in the private clinics.
Cortez said that Governor Ben Evardone allocated a big amount to buy medicines in the government hospitals.
Presently, the province activated the Dengue Task Force in all affected municipalities/city based on their dengue status alert level.
The Provincial Health Office personnel will also conduct larval survey, search and destroy, misting and fogging.
Cortez advised the local government units to work in constant coordination with the district hospitals, and ESPHO. (NBQ/SDC/PIA-Eastern Samar)
DOH issues appeal to community, gov’t agencies: help fight dengue fever spread
TACLOBAN CITY- With still rising of dengue fever cases in Eastern Visayas, which already claimed 24 lives as of this week, the Department of Health (DOH) has urged cooperation from other government agencies, to include the Church, to help contain further spread of the mosquito-causing ailment.
Dr. Minerva Molon, health regional director, said that addressing dengue fever is not just the concern of their department but of the community members and other government agencies.
“We have (noticed) that during cleanliness campaign, it always involved health workers, barangay health workers,” she said during a press conference Tuesday.
But considering the rising number of dengue fever not only in the region but the rest of the country, it’s about time that other members of society should get involved on addressing the problem, Molon added.
According to her, their office has already sought assistance from other government agencies like the Departments of Education (DepEd), Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Interior and Local Government, and even the Church.
Molon said that the DepEd could help in the clean up around schools considering that most of those who were afflicted with the ailment were children of school age; the DWSWD to include campaign during family development sessions among members of the 4Ps (Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program), the DILG to cascade information campaign to all local government units, and the local Church to urge the faithful who attends masses to conduct their own cleanup on their surroundings and houses.
As of July 19, the DOH in the region has monitored 6,327 cases with 24 deaths.
The current dengue fever cases is about 123 percent higher compare to the same period last year or just 2,833 cases with 20 deaths.
By province, Leyte has the highest number of dengue fever with 1,998 cases and 12 deaths followed by Samar,876 cases with two deaths; Eastern Samar with 609 cases with seven deaths; Northern Samar(563 cases with no death);Biliran(408 cases with one death) and Southern Leyte,272 cases with no fatality reported.
While the dengue fever cases in the region is increasing, Molon said that their office could not yet declare a dengue epidemic considering that there are provinces or municipalities which have low dengue fever cases like Southern Leyte and Biliran.
Among the six provinces of the region, Leyte declared a state of calamity last Friday (July 19), allowing it to make use a portion of its calamity fund to buy needed medicines and even fogging machines.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
EV workers to receive additional P20 wage
RTWPB asks establishments to comply Wage Order 21
BY: JOEY A. GABIETA
TACLOBAN CITY- The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) in here in the region has approved a P20 wage adjustment for its around 3 million workers, both in the agriculture and non-agriculture sectors.
However, the approved wage increase will come into two tranches as approved by the regional wage board, said its regional chairman Yahya Centi.
Centi, who is also the regional director of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), said that the decision to have the P20 increase released into two tranches was made to help the business owners find it easy to comply.
The new wage adjustment is contained under Wage Order Number 21, approved by RTWPB-8 on July 22 but was only made public through a press conference on Wednesday (July 24).
“The board will now give a gift to all minimum wage workers of Eastern Visayas region with this new wage order,” Centi said.
The last time the RTWPB approved a wage order was on May 7,2018 which pegged the daily minimum wage of the region’s workers at P305.
Under the newly-approved wage order, workers in the non-agriculture sector will be receiving P325.However, those in the retail and services sectors whose companies are only employing 10 workers, they are only to receive P295 as their daily minimum wage.
Meantime, those in the agriculture sector will be receiving P295 as their new daily minimum wage from the previous P275.
Centi said that the first P10 increase will take effect on the first month after Wage Order 21 takes effect while the additional P10 will be enforce on its seventh month.
The new wage order was sent to the National Wages and Productivity Commission on July 23 for review and once approved, and will take effect 15 days after its publication in a regional local newspaper.
Centi said that the decision to have a new wage order was by virtue of the regional board’s action or ‘moto propio’ with series of public hearings attended by business owners and workers beginning on April 26 in Ormoc City and ended on July 17 here in Tacloban City.
He said that in coming up with a new wage order, the RTWPB-8 considered the current economic condition of the region, citing its economic indicators like increase of prices of commodities.
Centi said that they expect the new wage order will be followed by all business owners in the region.
Skills and livelihood training held for former rebels in Can-avid town
ORAS,Eastern Samar – The TESDA(Technical Education Skills and Development Authority)-Arteche National Agricultural School (ANAS) in partnership with the local government unit of Can-avid and 14th Infantry (Avenger) Battalion successfully conducted a 3-Day Raise Organic Chicken Skills and Livelihood Training to the Former Rebels (FRs) at Multipurpose Hall, Can-avid, Eastern Samar last 16-18 July, 2019.
The 3-day training aims to strengthen our reach and skills training provision for the FRs and give them a chance to earn a decent livelihood in order to become productive member of the society.
The said training benefited 26 FRs from the upstream barangays of Can-avid. Each FRs beneficiaries received twenty-five (25) heads of chicks and one month allocation of feeds.
During the opening ceremony, Mayor Gil Norman “Toytoy” P. Germino encouraged the FRs to cooperate and internalize the knowledge and skills that they will be learning from the said livelihood training.
Likewise, during the closing ceremony, Lieutenant Colonel Pecson said, “After a 3-day livelihood training, I wish that every one of you gained the needed knowledge and skills for the raised organic chicken livelihood training. And to the different agencies present, let us continue to do our job in helping the FRs and other people who needs our services.”
The activity is a collaboration of different agencies in addressing the issues and concerns raised by the affected farmer sector most especially the FRs who were influenced by the CPP-NPA-NDF.
The unit expressed its gratitude to the TESDA-ANAS in collaboration with the LGU of Can-avid for the successful conduct of the livelihood training, which contributed to the sustainment of peace through the efforts of the different stakeholders in the province of Eastern Samar.(PR)