Saturday, April 27, 2024

Tag: CORD

DOH-10 urges LGUs to intensify tracking of dengue, measles, chikungunya virus

Posted on by cmn

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (March 29, 2024/PIA) – The Department of Health (DOH)-10 urges LGUs to ramp up the surveillance of dengue, measles, and chikungunya virus after cases soared from January to March

During the Northern Mindanao Disaster Risk Reduction Management 1st Quarter Full Council meeting, DOH reported that dengue, measles, and chikungunya had increased compared to the same months last year.

Its current data showed a 34.27 percent increase in dengue cases, from 3,032 to 4,071. Measles cases surged by 94.33 percent, from 53 to 103. Chikungunya cases spiked from 7 to 89, marking a staggering 1,171.43 percent rise.

Dengue and chikungunya cases

The disease surveillance data showed that Bukidnon has the most dengue cases in Northern Mindanao, with 1,121 cases (959 admissions with 153 confirmed cases); Misamis Oriental has 845 cases (591 admissions, 79 confirmed); Lanao del Norte reported 574 cases (450 admissions, 115 confirmed); Iligan City reported 319 cases (310 admissions, 114 confirmed); Cagayan de Oro City reported 222 cases (207 admissions, 6 confirmed); and Camiguin reported 89 cases (81 admitted and 47 confirmed).

Bukidnon reported the most dengue-related deaths (19), followed by Misamis Occidental (4), Misamis Oriental (3), Lanao del Norte (4), Iligan City (1), Cagayan de Oro City (2), and Camiguin (1).

Chikungunya, another mosquito-borne viral illness transmitted by the same Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitos that carry dengue and Zika, has significantly increased. Misamis Oriental leads the list with 50 cases, followed by Misamis Occidental (18), Bukidnon (12), Camiguin (4), Iligan City (4), and Cagayan de Oro City (1).

Measles cases surveillance

DOH-10 intensifies measles cases surveillance following the disease surge in a neighboring province. The tracking team reported 103 infected children aged 1 to 5. Lanao del Norte has 58 cases (54 hospitalized), followed by Misamis Oriental (14 cases, 11 hospitalized), Cagayan de Oro City (8 cases, 3 hospitalized), Bukidnon (8 cases), Iligan City (7 cases, 5 hospitalized), Misamis Occidental (6 cases, 3 hospitalized), and Camiguin (2 cases, 1 hospitalized).

“The sudden rise in measles cases can be attributed to children’s failure to receive vaccinations,” according to DOH-10 nurse Iris Christine Torralba.

She said COVID-19 disrupted vaccinations as the ‘No Vaccine, No Entry’ policy caused delays. Now, Lanao del Norte faces a measles surge. DOH-10 mobilized an outbreak team to Balo-i and Amai Pakpak Medical Center to stop the spread.

In addition to the response team, resources like viral transport media (VTM) and vaccines were strategically placed and boosted in LDN.

The DOH-10 coordinated with the integrated provincial health offices of Lanao del Sur and Marawi City. It collaborated with national immunization program coordinators to conduct outbreak response immunization in high-case areas.

“The regional office collects data from local government units (LGUs), contributing to our generated data. We are approaching the epidemic threshold and have advised LGUs to enhance their surveillance systems in recent weeks,” DOH-10 Regional Director Sulpicio Henry Legaspi said.

He recommended that local governments monitor movements, particularly in Balo-i, the epicenter of the measles outbreak, because 92 percent of recorded cases include unvaccinated or under-immunized children, indicating the need for focused immunization activities in high-case areas.

Legaspi said the DOH-10 is coordinating with Lanao del Sur to monitor Marawi City due to high population mobility, saying there is a risk of measles spreading to Iligan City and Cagayan de Oro City due to its contagious nature.

“We have enough vaccine supply and await the request for additional health workers needed for outbreak response immunization,” he clarified.

The health department assures the public they are addressing the situation, collaborating with LGUs to intensify measles case monitoring and urging parents to vaccinate children aged 0-59 months against measles and other diseases. (Jan Albert K. Araña/PIA10)

BPMC gets new CT scan machine

Posted on by Melchor Madera

MALAYBALAY CITY, Bukidnon (March 28, 2024) – The Bukidnon Provincial Medical Center (BPMC) has received a new Fujifilm Healthcare Supria 32-slice CT Scan machine from the Department of Health (DOH)

According to the provincial government of Bukidnon (PGB), the turnover ceremony took place on March 26, 2024, at BPMC in Malaybalay City.

 

Dr. Ariel I. Valencia, assistant health secretary represented the DOH as the donor.

 

Valencia conveyed the goal of Health Secretary Ted Herbosa’s initiative, which aimed to make every Filipino feel well through cooperation.

 

He said, “In a hospital like this, it’s a big thing to have immediate diagnostic capacity to diagnose, and that’s lifesaving, the patient’s problem can be seen right away.”

 

Meanwhile, Provincial Governor Rogelio Neil P. Roque represented the PGB as the donee.

 

The Governor assured that the province of Bukidnon will take care of the CT scan machine.

 

The machine was provided by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) as part of the Health System Enhancement to Address and Limit (HEAL) Project.

 

It was done through the office of Bukidnon 2nd District Representative Jonathan Keith Flores.

 

It was given to DOH, who eventually handed over the machine to BPMC.

 

Rep. Flores stated that the project is an excellent example of how things can be accomplished quickly when several government entities work together.

 

Dr. Gina Factura, BPMC’s chief of hospital, revealed that the state-of-the-art CT Scan machine is available for free to admitted patients through the PhilHealth program.

 

For outpatients, she stated that there may be a price to cover the cost of utilities and other expenses, which would be determined and finalized by the hospital.

 

Dr. Sulpicio Henry M. Legaspi, Jr., regional director for the Northern Mindanao Center for Health Development, also attended the occasion. (melbmadera)

Bukidnon claims top spot as Philippines’ leading agricultural area

Posted on by cmn

Bukidnon is the top agricultural area in the country, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed

Based on the survey of 82 provinces and 17 highly urbanized cities, it reported that Bukidnon had the highest gross value added (GVA) to agriculture, forestry, and fishing (AFF) in 2022 which stood at P125 billion.

 

The province contributed seven percent to the sector’s overall national GVA.

 

GVA is defined as the total of all revenues, from final sales and net subsidies, which are incomes into businesses; these incomes are then used to cover expenses, savings, and taxes.

 

It is also used to adjust gross domestic product, which is a key indicator of the state of a nation’s total economy.

 

Nueva Ecija comes after Bukidnon, with a GVA of P79.74 billion or 4.5 percentage share, followed by Pangasinan with P66.93 billion, Pampanga with P62.71 billion, and Isabela with P58.78 billion.

 

Completing the top 10 provinces outside the National Capital Region (NCR) that had the highest shares of GVA of AFF were Negros Occidental, Iloilo, Davao del Norte, Batangas, and Quezon.

 

On the other hand, the country reached over P1.78 trillion in GVA of AFF.

 

In terms of per capita GDP among provinces and cities outside NCR in 2022, Baguio City shared the highest per capita GDP of over P420 billion.

 

The per capita GDP is a measurement of wealth or poverty through the economic output to a per-person allocation.

 

Also sharing the highest per capita GDP were the cities of Cagayan de Oro (P343 billion), Lapu-Lapu (P313 billion), Iloilo (P306 billion), and Bataan (P297 billion).

 

Rounding out the top 10 wealthiest areas outside NCR were Cebu City, Laguna, Mandaue City, Davao City, and Batanes.

 

The Marcos administration is targeting to achieve an economic growth of 6.5 to 7.5 percent target band this year and 6.5 to 8.0 percent in the next four years.

 

The country’s GDP is already above pre-pandemic levels in peso terms, according to Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort, however, it could be slowed by higher prices and interest rates. (Xander Dave Ceballos/April 2, 2024)

6.2MW hydro plant eyed in Kalilangan

Posted on by cmn

MALAYBALAY CITY, Bukidnon (March 1, 2024) – A 6.2 megawatt Canituan Hydroelectric Power Project is planned for the Municipality of Kalilangan, Bukidnon

According to the provincial government of Bukidnon, Oro Valle Energy, Inc. (OVEI) owns the proposed project.

 

The project is currently in the pre-development stage.

 

On February 26, the 27th Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) discussed the company’s letter of intent, addressed to Provincial Vice Governor Clive D. Quiňo.

 

Engr. Hanshel Z. Layaoen, OVEI’s director, presented the initiative during the SP’s Question Hour.

 

He explained the benefits that will be obtained if the project is realized, such as job creation and community share.

 

He stated that 80 percent of the workforce for the operation and maintenance of the plant will come from the community.

 

He also said that host communities can receive one cent per kilowatt hour of total electricity sales as a share under ER 1-94.

 

The project requires the approval of the barangay council, the Sangguniang Bayan (SB), and the Sangguniang Panlalawigan. (melbmadera)

Philippine Eagle rescued in Bukidnon

Posted on by cmn

MANILA, Philippines (March 4, 2024) — A Philippine Eagle has been rescued in Pangantucan, Bukidnon

The eagle was found by a resident in Barangay Nabaliwa on Feb. 24, according to Dennis Salvador, executive director of the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF).

The group appealed to Filipinos to help finance the eagle’s rehabilitation.

“The eagle was turned over to the Bantay sa Yutang Kabilin for safekeeping. The BYK contacted us through our partners in the Xavier Science Foundation,” Salvador said.

He said the PEF sent a team of animal experts to examine the eagle.

“X-ray examinations conducted on the eagle at Doc Bayani’s Animal Wellness Clinic in Davao City showed two air gun pellets inside the bird. The pellets were surgically removed and the eagle is now recovering at the Philippine Eagle Center in Malagos, Davao City,” Salvador said.

Experts said the eagle, which was named Kalatungan, could be between 1.5 and two years old.

“The bird’s crop was empty, which indicated it had not eaten for days,” the PEF said.

The group said the pellets were lodged above the raptor’s right collarbone and thigh.

“The pellets were lodged beneath the skin, and the absence of entry wounds indicates that it was shot a few months ago,” the PEF said. (Bella Cariaso /The Philippine Star)

 

The eagle was found by a resident in Barangay Nabaliwa on Feb. 24, according to Dennis Salvador, executive director of the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF).

Malaybalay builds new OSCA building, Women’s center

Posted on by cmn

MALAYBALAY CITY, Bukidnon (February 26, 2024) – The city of Malaybalay has constructed a new multi-purpose building for the Office of Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA), as well as another structure to function as a Women’s Center

On the morning of February 23, 2024, the two structures constructed within the city hall complex at Brgy. Casisang were blessed and turned over, according to information from the city government’s official Facebook page.

The multi-purpose facility for which OSCA is the end-user has a project authorization of P8,436,000.00, while the actual project cost is just P7,752,561.19.

Meanwhile, the Women’s Center has a project budget of P4,456,037.40, but its real cost is P4,050,943.09.

City Mayor Jay Warren R. Pabillaran led the turnover ceremony.

Members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP), led by City Vice Mayor Estelito R. Marabe, also attended the event.

Rev. Fr. Andrew T. Boquilon presided over the blessing of the two structures in the presence of senior citizens federation officers, women’s presidents, and the kagawad in charge of each barangay.

In his message, Pabillaran congratulated the groups who had been waiting for these buildings for a long time.

He also stated that there is no need to be concerned about its maintenance because the city government has money set out each year for repair and maintenance, ensuring that it lasts for over 50 years.

In his welcome address, Vice Mayor Marabe expressed his gratitude that the Women’s Federation and the Senior Citizen’s Affairs Federation now have a permanent home that should be maintained by people who utilize it.

He also said that the current structures would serve as local tourism for other cities and municipalities, allowing them to benchmark right here on the city hall site.

The vice mayor is also optimistic that these two federations would expand and become more efficient in their operations. (melbmadera)

Malaybalay tribal group gets 40 new homes

Posted on by cmn

Family beneficiaries of Daraghuyan Tribal Village housing project pose after the awarding ceremony held at Daraghuyan Ancestral Domain in Damitan, Brgy. Dalwangan, Malaybalay City on Dec. 14, 2023. (Photo lifted from Mayor Pabillaran’s Facebook account)

Malaybalay tribal group gets 40 new homes

MALAYBALAY CITY (Dec. 15, 2023) – Forty (40) recently built housing units were turned over to the family recipients who are members of Daraghuyan Tribal group at Damitan, Brgy. Dalwangan here

The Daraghuyan Tribal Village housing project’s awarding ceremony took place on December 14 at the project’s location, Daraghuyan Ancestral Domain, according to a news statement from the city government.

Bae Inatlawan Adelina Tarino, chieftain of the Daraghuyan tribe led the customary rite that opened the event.

The Daraghuyan Tribal Village project was a joint undertaking initiated by the National Housing Authority (NHA) and the City Government of Malaybalay.

NHA represented by its District Manager Engr. Madeleine Gilda Abellera and OIC- Regional Manager Engr. Homer Cezar graced the event.

City Councilors Brian Flores, Erwin Damasco, Alan Ryann Legaspi, and Melchor Maramara were present at the event.

The Governor’s Office personnel, tribal leaders, and guests from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) were among the forty project beneficiaries who attended the ceremony.

The project was initiated during the term of late City Mayor Florencio “Doc Boy” T. Flores Jr. and was diligently ensured for completion by Mayor Jay Warren R. Pabillaran, who secured the necessary counterpart funding.

Vice Mayor Estelito Marabe and the members of the 8th and 9th Sanggunian Panlungsod provided unwavering support for the project.

The Daraghuyan Tribal Village showcased a model house, which was inaugurated during the
event.

The housing staff took great care with the interior design and landscape.

This noteworthy accomplishment is a result of the collaborative efforts of the local government and the NHA, providing the Daraghuyan people sustainable housing solutions. (melbmadera)

San Fernando town gets P9.3M for INSPIRE program

Posted on by cmn

DAR Northern Mindanao Regional Director Zoraida Macadindang announces the condonation of debts and fees for agrarian reform beneficiaries during the CORD launching in Bukidnon. (Photo: JMC/PIA 10/Bukidnon)

San Fernando town gets P9.3M for INSPIRE program

SAN FERNANDO, Bukidnon – The Local Government Unit (LGU) of San Fernando, Bukidnon will benefit from a Department of Agriculture (DA) livelihood initiative

In a press release, the DA has provided P9.3 million for the town’s Integrated National Swine Production Initiatives for Recovery and Expansion (INSPIRE) program through its Regional Office 10.

On November 28, DA-10 Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado and San Fernando Mayor Rogelio Yeke led the groundbreaking ceremony for the P5.5 million biosecure swine facility.

Collado stated that the facility is part of the INSPIRE initiative.

Pharmaceuticals and biologics worth P75K were also turned over on the same day.

Similarly, 300 head swine piglets (P2.3-M) and 550 bags of feed (P1.3-M) would be distributed upon the completion of the facility’s construction.

Collado added that the program focuses on increasing the swine and breeder base while also providing livelihood aid to its localities through swine production.

Meanwhile, DA-10 Livestock focal person Jamaica L. Docdoc said that the agri interventions offered will be managed by the LGU in order to help repopulate the province’s swine industry.

DA-10 Bukidnon Provincial Operations Center chief Janet D. Lopez, DVM, staff from the Municipal Agriculture’s Office, and other LGU officials were also present at the event. (melbmadera)

Debt relief for 5,000 farmers in Bukidnon under new agrarian law

Posted on by cmn

MALAYBALAY CITY (Dec. 01, 2023/PIA) – Over 5,000 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) will benefit from Republic Act (RA) 11953, known as the New Agrarian Emancipation Act (NAEA), following the recent launch of the Condonation Response Desk (CORD) by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Bukidnon

Regional Director Zoraida Macadindang of DAR-Northern Mindanao said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signed the NAEA into law on July 9 this year, which condones all loans, including interest, penalties, and surcharges incurred by ARBs from land awarded to them.
She said the CORD serves as a command center to expedite the processing of necessary documents for ARBs in the province’s 20 towns and two cities in compliance with the new law.
“The CORD aims to liberate ARBs from debt bondage, giving them leeway to boost productivity. Agrarian reform lawyers will be stationed at the quick response centers to aid in processing the applications of ARBs for debt condonation and amortization under RA 11953, or the NAEA,” Macadindang said.
The law’s benefits for ARBs include exemption from payment of estate tax and mandatory inclusion in the Registry System of Basic Sectors in Agriculture to give them easy access to support services of the Department of Agriculture.
Lawyer Mitchell Talatala, representing Malaybalay City Mayor Jay Warren Pabillaran, said the city government wholeheartedly backs the DAR programs.
“The New Agrarian Emancipation Act has waived debts and fees, including real property tax condonations, for our agrarian reform beneficiaries. It made a significant impact on their lives,” Talatala said.
Meanwhile, DAR-Bukidnon Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer Jammal Pangandaman asserted that the new agrarian reform law empowers farmers to affirm and protect their rights.
“Agrarian reform is not just a set of policies. It is a social justice movement. It revolves around empowering farmers, the marginalized, and landless individuals,” he said. (By Bernadith G. Epan edited by RLRB, /PIA-10/Bukidnon)