By Venus L. Garcia
SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte, April 30 (PIA) - The government
sternly advised the public to stay at home. This is why amid the strict
implementation of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in the entire Caraga
region due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the provincial
government of Surigao del Norte ensured that the medical consultation need of
the residents is met.
In partnership with the Surigao del Norte Medical Society, the local
government unit of Surigao del Norte launched the “Tawag Konsulta” program
where the locals can avail the free medical consultation and advice without
going to the hospital or clinic to physically see a doctor.
Using a telephone or mobile phone, patients may dial the hotline numbers
where a designated “HEALS 911” agent assists and refers the patient’s concern
to the doctor who would provide the appropriate medical advice and
prescription.
The doctor then has to forward the online prescription approved by the
Food and Drug Administration to the nurse coordinator who would also furnish a
copy to the pharmacist for dispensing of prescription drugs.
The medicines will be delivered right at the doorstep of the patient,
charged to the medical assistance program and social services fund of the
province. The Tawag Konsulta services are available 24/7.
Dr. Chrismar Mocorro, officer-in-charge of the Surigao del Norte
Provincial Hospital, said the program is most beneficial to the senior
citizens, pregnant women, and to those vulnerable individuals who are
restricted to go out due to quarantine.
“We are supportive of this program and even before the implementation of
the ECQ we do anticipate this kind of challenge wherein the residents will have
a hard time in going out to visit a physician for a medical check-up because of
limited transport vehicles and fear of getting exposed to the virus. But with
Tawag Konsulta, their medical concern is given attention,” said Dr. Mocorro.
The Tawag Konsulta has already served 287 patients and more than thirty
patients have also received free medicines, as of April 28.
Dr. Mocorro said that most common illnesses were related to respiratory
condition, hyperacidity, cough, hypertension, including prostate enlargement
and electrolyte imbalances.
The local government unit of Del Carmen in Siargao Island also offered a
free use of telephone of the Del Carmen Polyclinic among its community members
for its ‘Telemed’ or Tawag Konsulta program.
Also, LGU-Mainit though its Municipal Health Office is encouraging the
residents to avail of the services by simply contacting them using the hotline
number posted in their official Facebook page LGU-Mainit 2020, where schedules
and other instructions can be found as well. (VLG/PIA-Surigao del Norte)
Agusan Norte LGUs receive augmentation fund for COVID-19 ops
“We cannot leave the barangays alone in the fight against COVID-19. So,
after augmenting the anti-COVID funds of the municipalities and city, the
provincial government also allotted a total of P8.35 million as support to each
of the 167 barangays in their fight against the deadly virus," said Gov.
Corvera.
BUTUAN CITY, April 30 - SM Foundation Inc. donated Personal Protective
Equipment (PPEs) and medical supplies to hospitals in the Visayas and Mindanao
areas.
LUNGSOD NG TANDAG, Surigao del Sur, Abril 30 (PIA) - Umabot sa 650
buntis ang tumaggap ng food packs at mga dietary supplements na ipinamahagi ng
City Nutrition Office ng lokal na pamahalaan ng Tandag habang sumasailalim ang
buong probinsya sa Enhanced Community Quarantine, ito ang kinumpirma ni City
Nutrition Office chief Reyveen Geli.
Nagpaabot naman ng pasasalamat si Manilyn Ellar, isa sa tumanggap ng
ayuda dahil malaki ang maitutulong nito sa kanyang pagbubuntis at pati na rin
sa kanyang buong pamilya sa gitna ng krisis na kinakaharap ngayon.
Agusan Norte LGUs receive augmentation fund for COVID-19 ops
By Nora C. Lanuza
BUTUAN CITY, April 30 (PIA) - As support to the efforts of the
different local government units (LGUs) of the province of Agusan del Norte,
the provincial government has released an augmentation fund of one million
pesos each to the 10 municipalities and the lone city of the province.
According to Governor Dale B. Corvera, said fund will be used in the
campaign versus coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), efforts to stop its spread
and to augment the ongoing activities of the LGUs in their fight against the
disease.
In the municipality of RTR, Mayor Richard Daquipil said the fund from
the provincial government will be utilized to the Balik Probinsya program
through the improvement of the evacuation center by converting it into a
quarantine area/isolation area to accommodate Agusanons, especially those from
RTR for the required quarantine period before going to their respective homes.
“We cannot leave the barangays alone in the fight against COVID-19. So,
after augmenting the anti-COVID funds of the municipalities and city, the
provincial government also allotted a total of P8.35 million as support to each
of the 167 barangays in their fight against the deadly virus," said Gov.
Corvera.
Each of the 167 barangays will receive P50,000 as support to their
measures to stop the spread of the deadly virus in their respective areas,
Governor Corvera added.
Punong Barangay Nilo T. Fediles of Barangay Basilisa, RTR was thankful
to the provincial government for the augmentation fund. "The fund is of
great help to our barangay, we will spend it according to what is expected
to," he said. (NCLM/PIA-Agusan del Norte)
NGO donates PPEs to
hospitals in VisMin
BUTUAN CITY, April 30 - SM Foundation Inc. donated Personal Protective
Equipment (PPEs) and medical supplies to hospitals in the Visayas and Mindanao
areas.
A total of 21 hospitals benefitted from the 170 million pesos’ worth of
N95 and surgical masks, gloves, raincoats, goggles, as well as alcohol and
hygiene kits.
Hospitals in Visayan cities such as Cebu, Iloilo, Bacolod, Dumaguete,
Roxas, Tacloban, Ormoc as well some in the Samar province benefitted from the
donation, including the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City and
West Visayas State University Medical Center in IloIlo City.
In Mindanao, beneficiaries included the Northern Mindanao Medical Center
in Cagayan de Oro City; Amai Pakpak Hospital in Marawi City; Southern
Philippines Medical Center in Davao City and Davao Regional Medical Center in
Tagum City.
In addition, the SM Group has also extended additional assistance in
response to crisis such as the provision of Emergency Financial Assistance
to its frontline workers, security guards, and janitorial staff during the
Enhanced Community Quarantine period. Apart from continued compensation for its
other employees, rentals have also been waived for all tenants of SM Supermalls
nationwide. (SM/PIA-Caraga)
NFA Caraga focuses
rice supply for relief operations
By Aurelius P. Arais
BUTUAN CITY, April 30 - To address the rice requirements of government
institutional buyers amidst the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic,
the National Food Authority (NFA) halted its supply to all its NFA accredited
rice retailers.
NFA Caraga information officer Amelou Jane Mendoza said that they
reserved their supply to local government units (LGUs) and other government
relief giving institutions in adherence to their new mandate.
“With the implementation of the Republic Act 11203 or Rice Tarrification
Law (RTL), the primary mandate of the NFA is to secure the buffer stock to be
distributed in times of emergency or calamities,” she explained.
Currently, Mendoza said that NFA is focusing on serving the needs of
LGUs and other government agencies for their relief operations as the public
are on limited movement due to quarantine measures.
Mendoza bared that from March up to April 24, 2020, around 37,340 bags
of 50 kgs. had been released to LGUs and Department of Social Welfare and
Development.
“Based on our inventory with 2% market participation of NFA rice from
daily consumption rate, our supply would eventually last of up to two months,”
she disclosed.
However, if the market participation of NFA rice would increase up to
25% due to high demand from institutional buyers, the NFA supply could last to
a month.
“There is no need to be alarmed; so far, we have enough supply of NFA
rice,” she said.
Recent report from Department of Agriculture (DA)-Caraga also assures
enough supply based on the current harvest season in the region. Caraga is
expected to produce 315,947 metric tons or an equivalent of 134% rice
sufficiency by the end of the first semester based on the consolidated planting
report of the LGUs.
Farmers are also assured of available market for their rice products
with NFA currently buying palay harvest from local farmers in the region with a
higher price of P19.00 per kilo, clean and dry.
NFA assures that warehouses all over Caraga Region will accommodate
interested farmers who would want to sell their produce. (DA13-RAFIS/PIA
Caraga)
Buntis, mga bata sa
Tandag tumanggap ng ayuda habang sumasailalim sa ECQ
By Nida Grace P. Barcena
LUNGSOD NG TANDAG, Surigao del Sur, Abril 30 (PIA) - Umabot sa 650
buntis ang tumaggap ng food packs at mga dietary supplements na ipinamahagi ng
City Nutrition Office ng lokal na pamahalaan ng Tandag habang sumasailalim ang
buong probinsya sa Enhanced Community Quarantine, ito ang kinumpirma ni City
Nutrition Office chief Reyveen Geli.
Napag alaman mula kay Geli na ang mga benepisyaryo ay mula sa 21
barangays na sakop ng nasabing syudad.
Nanguna naman sa pamamahagi ng mga food packs si Mayor Roxanne Pimentel
sa Barangay Awasian sa mga benepisyaryong inang buntis sa gitna ng kasagsagan
ng krisis na kinakaharap dahil sa COVID-19 pandemic. Bawat food packs ay
naglalaman ng bigas, assorted fresh vegetables, iodized salt, dried fish, nutri
butter (MUM), vegetables seeds at IEC flyres.
Sa kanyang mensahe, hinimok ni Mayor Pimentel ang mga magulang sa
Barangay Awasian na sumuporta sa adhikain ng lokal na pamahalaan na makamit ang
zero-malnourished children in three years. Sinabi rin niya na pauloy na
susuportahan ng kanyang administrasyon ang programang pangkalusugan.
Nagpaabot naman ng pasasalamat si Manilyn Ellar, isa sa tumanggap ng
ayuda dahil malaki ang maitutulong nito sa kanyang pagbubuntis at pati na rin
sa kanyang buong pamilya sa gitna ng krisis na kinakaharap ngayon.
Samantala, napag alaman mula kay Geli, na bawat batang malnourished ay
makakatanggap ng Malunggay Bread, isang beses bawat linggo, hanggang mapawalang
bisa ang ideneklarang kwarentina sa nasabing lugar.
Kasabay nito ang pamamahagi ng ayuda sa 172 severely underweight at
severely wasted pre-school na mga kabataan na inihatid sa 21 barangays na sakop
ng siyudad.
Bawat bata ay tumanggap ng kalahating dosenang itlog, “Malunggay
Bread”, crackers, multivitamins, vegetables seeds, at IEC flyres mula sa lokal
na pamahalaan.
Sa kasalukuyan, ang lungsod ay namamahagi na ng relief goods sa
pangalawang pagkakataon. Isang sako ng bigas at groceries na naglalaman ng
canned goods, laundry soap, bath soap, toothpaste, and 3N1 coffee ang
natatanggap ng bawat household na sakop nito. (PIA-Surigao del Sur)
