Measles immunization
program benefits over 300K kids in Caraga
By Nora C. Lanuza Molde
BUTUAN CITY, May 15 (PIA) -- The Department of
Health (DOH) Caraga region, together with the city government of Butuan,
through the City Health Office here, launched on Friday the Ligtas
Tigdas Plus: Measles Rubella Supplemental Immunization Activity (MR SIA) at
Barangay Baan Km. 3 covered court here.
According
to DOH Caraga regional director Dr. Jose R. Llacuna, Jr., a total of
300,133 children, aged six to nine months old are the targets of this year’s MR
SIA in Caraga region starting May 9 to June 8, 2018. The MR SIA is
aimed to halt the transmission of measles among the young population,
especially unvaccinated children.
“We
cannot underscore quite enough the value of protection over cure. As parents or
guardians of eligible children, we call upon those who have the power to
protect their children from measles to have their kids vaccinated against this
disease,” Dr. Llacuna said. A door-to-door measles immunization will be
conducted in the region, he added.
Llacuna
also urged parents/guardians of eligible children to have their kids vaccinated
against measles disease.
Of
the total 300,133 children, 32,177 are from Agusan del Norte; 71,278 from
Agusan del Sur; 36,483 from Surigao del Norte; 50,810 from Surigao del Sur;
12,312 from Bayugan City; 10,883 from Bislig City; 38,615 from Butuan City;
8,436 from Cabadbaran City; 16,990 from Surigao City; 6,489 from Tandag City;
and 15,660 from the Province of Dinagat Islands.
Dr.
Llacuna said their agency has always been advocating for the protection of
children from various vaccine-preventable diseases, and measles being one of
them.
“We
have seen the resurgence of several suspected and confirmed measles cases in
Mindanao and in the region. That is why we are once more intensifying our
campaign for measles immunization. It is very saddening to hear on the news about
children dying and families grieving for the deaths in other places we could
have prevented though immunization,” said Dr. Llacuna.
He
added that as of May 5, 2018, they have 82 reported suspect measles cases
coming from the region with 18 laboratory confirmed cases by the Research
Institute for Tropical Medicine. No death attributed to measles was reported,
Dr. Llacuna said.
“Have
your children vaccinated – have your children protected,” added Dr.
Llacuna. (NCLM/DOH/PIA-Caraga)
SurSur pupils receive
school bags with school supplies from GMA Foundation
By Nida Grace P. Barcena
TANDAG
CITY, Surigao del Sur, May 15 (PIA) -- The GMA Kapuso Foundation, Inc. (GMAKFI)
has distributed 3,500 school bags with assorted school supplies as part of
its project dubbed as “Unang Hakbang Sa Kinabukasan” (UHSK) to the Kindergarten
and Grade 1 pupils in selected communities in the municipalities of
Bayabas, Cortes, Madrid, Lanuza, and Cantilan, all of this province last May
8-12, 2018.
Based
on the report, the beneficiaries, who received a school bag containing set of
school supplies composed of five notebooks, two writing pads, two pencils, a
sharpener, eraser, and a set of crayon, were all from the far-flung and
underprivileged areas of the five towns of this province.
In
a press statement released from the 36th Infantry Battalion as facilitator
of the event, the project kicked off in the Municipality of Bayabas last May 8,
2018 and culminated in Cantilan town last May 12, 2018.
On
May 11, 2018, the “Unang Hakbang Sa Kinabukasan” project went to Lanuza
town to do the same activity. In partnership with the local government
headed by Mayor Salvacion Azarcon, the activity highlighted with a Medical
and Surgical Mission in Sitio Ibuan, Brgy Mampi, one of the indigenous peoples
communities composed of Manobo and Mamanwa in the area.
Other
services offered were giving of slippers by the Rotary Club of Central Tandag,
free haircut services rendered by the 36IB, porridge feeding by APO Tandag
City Alumni Association and free services of pedicure, manicure, and
massage from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority
(TESDA) Surigao del Sur Provincial Office.
Manobo
tribe member named Benny Bulando, who is a father of 10 children, of
Sitio Ibuan has expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the GMA Kapuso
Foundation together with the Philippine Army thru the 36IB for giving them
an opportunity to avail of this kind of support for the education of
their children.
Bulando
uttered that it served as their inspiration and hope because they
felt the presence of the government and stakeholders from Manila (as he cited
the GMA Kapuso Foundation) despite of the undesirable road condition going
to the said village by riding a “Habal-habal”, a single motorcycle.
Meanwhile,
36IB commanding officer Lt. Col. Xerxes Trinidad has expressed his respect
and appreciation to the school supervisors and school heads for their warm
welcome and accommodation during the distribution.
“The
military believes that in order to address the insurgency problem,
educating the youth is of great importance to help the communities uplift
its environmental condition to attain peace and development in their
areas," said LTC Trinidad.
"The
activity is all about instilling hope through the convergence of efforts
in order to make a difference and change people’s lives,” Col. Trinidad
added. (PIA-Surigao del Sur)
4Ps OTC payout scheduled within 2nd Quarter
CY 2018
By Joana Rica Millama
BUTUAN CITY, May 15 -- The Department of Social Welfare and
Development (DSWD) Caraga, through its partner conduits, is set to release
within May 16 to June 30, 2018 the Period 6 cash grants of the Pantawid
Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries whose mode of payment is
over-the-counter (OTC).
The
grants under Period 6 (January 2018) will be released along with the P2,400
cash grant under the Unconditional Cash Transfer (UCT).
DSWD
Caraga OIC-Regional Director Mita Chuchi Gupana-Lim explained that the
month-long delay of the release for OTC transactions was caused by the
synchronized payout for the 4Ps grant and UCT.
“This
includes the incompletion of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), Implementing
Rules and Regulations (IRR) and processing of release of funds from the
Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the Bureau of Treasury (BTr) for
the UCT,” Lim said.
“We
are not the only region affected by these system problems. Other regions are
also waiting for the resolution of some technical problems encountered at the
national level,” she added.
The
UCT is a social mitigating measure to protect the disadvantaged, poor, and
vulnerable sectors who will not benefit from the lower income taxes but will be
adversely affected by the rising prices due to the implementation of the Tax
Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law.
As
stipulated in the TRAIN Act, the government will provide monthly cash grant of
P200 in 2018 and P300 in 2019 and 2020 for the 10 million poor
households/individuals, 4.4 million of which are 4Ps beneficiaries.
In
Caraga, about 180,000 households are recorded to be active 4Ps beneficiaries. (DSWD-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)
