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Larena mayor urges residents to strictly follow health protocols by Rizalie Anding Calibo SIQUIJOR, Feb. 10 (PIA) -- Amid the current threat of a COVID-19 community transmission in Larena, Siquijor Mayor Danny Villa called on the residents to remain calm while strictly adhering to the necessary safety and health protocols. “This time dili na gyud ta (we should not) magrelax. Para nako (For me), based on the initial results, there is already a local transmission,” Villa said during the Municipal Emergency Management Response Team (EMReT) for COVID-19 on Feb. 8. The mayor said whether the province declares that there is a local transmission or not, it is up to the local government unit (LGU) and the EMReT to give a decision based on the situation of the town. “This is a test for all of us, for the local government on how we will handle the situation. I hope that everyone will be in, everyone will be with us in the direction for a containment of this local transmission so that we can act as one for whatever decisions we will have ” Villa said, as he sought recommendations from members of the EMReT, especially from the health, security and business sectors. “Ang ato lang mahimo karon (The only thing we can do now) is fast action para macontain lang gyud nato ang pagkuyanap sa virus (so that we can contain the spread of the virus),” he said. Four asymptomatic COVID-19 positive cases have already been reported in Larena as of Feb. 8. The results were from the swab tests conducted on 32 individuals who had close or direct contact with Patient No. 35 based on the outright contact tracing made immediately after it was learned that Patient No. 35 was positive on Feb. 1. Another emergency meeting called for by Villa said the town through its Rural Health Unit (RHU) has conducted contact tracing and emergency meetings as part of their swift measures to contain the spread of the virus. In an official statement issued Feb. 9, the Larena local government declared community transmission of COVID-19 in the locality following the positive COVID-19 result of the said cases. Patient No. 35 was admitted at Siquijor Provincial Hospital in a private room on Jan. 21 and discharged on Jan. 25, at 1:00 p.m. Since that day, the patient stayed home as she is non-ambulatory but relatives and friends have reportedly visited her. On Jan. 31, the patient was transported to Cebu City via Lite Shipping with medical certification from the Provincial Hospital allowing her travel. She arrived in Cebu City midnight of Jan. 31 and admitted in a private hospital on Feb. 1 at 1:00 p.m. where she was tested via RT-PCR. On Feb. 1 at 11:00 a.m., the RT-PCR result came out positive and at 12:00 noon of the same day, the Rural Health Unit (RHU) of Larena was informed of the result. An emergency meeting was immediately done at 1:00 p.m. with the mayor, municpal health officer and the public health nurse.
Larena Municipal Mayor Dean Villa during the meeting with the Emergency Management Response Team for COVID-19 on Feb. 8 at the Queengate C e n t e r, L a r e n a , Siquijor. (rac/PIA7Siquijor)
Contact tracing was immediately done with 32 individuals identified to have direct contact with Patient No. 35 two days before her departure to Cebu City. The 32 persons include one resident from Lazi, one from San Juan, two from Siquijor, and the rest from Larena town. They were subjected to home quarantine with daily monitoring, including the members of their households. On Feb. 4, of the 32 individuals, 28 of whom had direct contact and four as high risk second generation contacts were swabbed, of which 17 results were released and two yielded positive tagged as Patients No. 39 and No. 40. By 6:00 p.m., another emergency meeting was held with the RHU personnel, LGU officials, the Philippine National Police (PNP), and barangay officials of North and South Poblacion being the affected barangays. The two barangays were immediately placed under granular lockdown. Patients No. 39 and 40 were transferred to the Provincial Temporary Treatment and Monitoring Facility (PTTMF) at 10:00 p.m. while contact tracing was conducted on those exposed to the patients prior to their home quarantine. On Feb. 8, an emergency meeting was held by the EMReT. Swab tests were also administered to the contacts of the two patients on the same day while results of the remaining 15 out of the 32 swabbed contacts were released, of which two yielded positive tagged as Patients No. 43 and 44. Swab results of two returning residents tagged as patients No. 41 and 42 from Dumaguete City and an overseas Filipino workers from Manila yielded positive so that the four patients were pulled out from the quarantine facility and were transferred to the PTTMF. Swab tests were then done on all direct contacts of patients No. 39, 40 and immediate family of Patient No. 43, and further contact tracing was made on the persons exposed to patients No. 43 and 44. They were placed under home quarantine starting Feb. 8. The remaining contacts of of patients No. 43 and 44 were scheduled for swab test on Feb. 10.
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THE OFFICIAL E-NEWSLETTER OF THE PHILIPPINE INFORMATION AGENCY - SIQUIJOR | WWW.PIA.GOV.PH and the DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY - SIQUIJOR | WWW.DOST.GOV.PH VOL. 09| No. 06 February 12 - 19 , 2021
Guv eyes to ‘slowly open’ local tourism in Siquijor According to the official statement, three individuals were exposed to Patient No. 39 as they went to the derby and were advised to undergo home quarantine. Other individuals from different municipalities who went also to the derby on Feb. 7 were advised to undergo home quarantine and were endorsed to their respective LGUs for monitoring. Meanwhile, the mayor, in consultation with the members of the EMReT for COVID-19, issued an executive order that temporarily suspends sports events, cockfights/derby, gambling activities, and other forms of entertainment. Celebrations of birthday, wedding, fiesta, etc. that would gather a crowd will be regulated and limited to the immediate family members only. Burial wake is allowed for two nights only with no gambling activies. The health personnel, in coordination with the barangay officials of the two affected barangays and the PNP also conducted close monitoring to ensure that implementation of health measures and other necessary protocols are observed. Citing reports on social media alleging of the local government’s incompetence in handling the situation, Villa said the LGU is trying its best to contain the virus. “While we are trying our best, dili nato malikayan nga usahay subject ta (we cannot avoid that sometimes, we become subject) to critics. We deeply know there are people who are trying to destroy what we have started, what we have been practicing pero dili ta maguol ana (but that should not worry us ). Ang ato is padayun lang ta kutob sa atong mahimo (What we need is to do the best we can),” the mayor said. “We want to maintain the calmness of the people, kay ug mag over react ta (because if we over react) it will lead to wrong information, ug ang atoa pung (and our) business operation will also suffer, it might create chaos,” he said during the EMReT. “As the local chief executive, I am calling on everyone to stay calm and follow religiously the health protocols for our safety,” Villa added. (rac/PIA7-Siquijor)
(PIA) -- Siquijor Gov. Zaldy Villa wants to open the Island of Siquijor to local tourists to revive its economy, as part of the local government’s recovery plan despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Villa, during the Network Briefing program hosted by Sec. Martin Andanar of the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO), said the province is heavily dependent on tourism for their economy. “We have so many tourist spots here in Siquijor: the beaches, falls, and even a fish spa,” the governor said as an invitation to local tourists. He highlighted the province’s areas of focus for this year in the fight against COVID-19. The governor said the recent Executive Order No. 2021-zsv-007 informs the Siquijodnons of the minimum public health standard; the new normal rules; and the approved health and safety protocols for the returning residents, overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and Authorized Person Outside Residence (APOR) in accordance with the Department of Health Memorandum 2020-0512 entitled “Revised Omnibus Interim Guidelines on Prevention, Detection, Isolation, Treatment, and Reintegration Strategies for Treatment of COVID-19”. Villa said the executive order also provides the discharge criteria for those patients who are confirmed COVID-19 positive but are either symptomatic or asymptomatic. Another highlight, he added, is the “pathway for our travelers who have business transaction and other APORs who will stay for less than 24 hours or more than 24 hours but less than 14 days, specific protocols have been stipulated in the new executive order as such with the new set of protocols by the Siquijor Provincial Task Force COVID-19.” The governor assured the public that it will benefit the Siquijodnons and
Siquijor Gov. Zaldy Villa talks about recovering the province’s economy by opening the island to local tourists during the Network Briefing program hosted by Presidential Communications Operations Office Sec. Martin Andanar on Jan. 26, 2021. (Screengrab from Radyo Pilipinas Facebook live) at the same time, “the health and safety of every individual has been taken cared of.” Villa also expressed his request to the Department of Health to fast track the establishment of a molecular laboratory for easier accessibility of COVID-19 testing to Siquijodnons. “I am requesting from DOH to have a container (molecular) laboratory so that we can protect and have a RT-PCR or swab test and get results immediately,” he added. During the “Explain, Explain, Explain: Pagdu-aw sa Siquijor” information campaign spearheaded by the PCOO and the Philippine Information Agency on Jan. 20, Andanar assured that a molecular laboratory will be established in the province through the efforts of Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go as chair of the Senate Committee on Health. This was echoed by Office of
the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas (OPAV) Assistant Sec. Gerald Anthony Gonzales, who also assured Siquijodnons of OPAV Sec. Michael Dino’s full commitment to help improve the lives of those affected by the COVID-19 crisis. The executive order, however, was amended on Jan. 22, after the Siquijor Provincial Task Force COVID-19 confirmed that an 85-year-old woman with no travel history tested positive for the SARS-COV-2, the virus which causes COVID-19. Villa signed and executed the Executive Order No. 2021-ZSV-009, Series of 2021 : An Order Amending Executive Order No. 2021-ZSV-007 Enhancing the Implementation of Mandatory Precautionary Measures Against COVID-19 for the Period Covering Jan. 23, 2021 to Feb. 5, 2021 unless lifted, extended, repealed or replaced. (idc/PIA7)
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Out of the 32 swabbed locals, 2 of the 17 results released as of February 7 were positive. Another result yielded positive today with another one still pending. Intensive contact tracing and granular lockdown are now being enforced in the identified areas in the municipality. -------ooo-------ooo------Apart from the 3 COVID-19 positive results earlier today, another result yielded positive of an individual having close contact with Patient No. 35, totalling the number of positive cases in Larena to 6. Four had close contact with Patient No. 35 and 2 were returning residents. Intensive contact tracing is ongoing to contain and limit further transmission of the virus and swab tests were done to the suspected individuals. -------ooo-------ooo------The Siquijor Provincial Task Force COVID-19 and DOH Siquijor Province declared a community transmission considering that the index case of Patient No. 35 has not yet been resolved on where she possibly got the virus. -------ooo-------ooo------The Siquijor Provincial Task Force COVID-19 and DOH Siquijor Province declared a community transmission considering that the index case of Patient No. 35 has not yet been resolved on where she possibly got the virus. -------ooo-------ooo------Larena Municipal Mayor Dean S. Villa talked about contact tracing and other health measures during the Emergency Management Response Team (EMRT) meeting in response to the present threat of COVID-19 “local transmission” in the municipality. -------ooo-------ooo------The Municipality of Larena, in an official statement of Mayor Dean Villa released today, Feb. 9, declared community transmission of COVID-19 having four asymptomatic positive cases as of Feb. 8. The mayor is calling everyone to stay calm and follow religiously the health protocols for safety. -------ooo-------ooo------As the LGU’s immediate response to the present threat of COVID-19 community transmission, Larena Mayor Dean Villa signed an Executive Order in consultation with the Emergency Management Response Team (EMReT) for COVID-19, for intensified contact tracing and granular lockdown of the two identified barangays to contain and stop the further spread of the virus. -------ooo-------ooo------The Executive Order temporarily suspends sports events, cockfighting/derby, gambling activities, and other forms of entertainment. It also regulates celebrations that would gather crowd and limits to immediate family members only. Burial wake is allowed for two nights with no gambling. -------ooo-------ooo------The Larena Youth Care Organization (LYCO) in coordination with the RHU Larena has successfully conducted the Parent-Teen Talk training held at the SB Session Hall. Parent-Teen Talk aims to educate and enhance the skills of parents as well as adolescents in a two-way communication about sexual and reproductive health concerns. -------ooo-------ooo------In compliance with the provisions of DILG Memorandum Circular No. 2020-27 on “Continued Implementation of the Presidential Directive to Clear Roads of Illegal Obstructions,” the LGU Larena has created Grievance Committee to handle physical reports from citizens regarding unremoved obstructions, provide suggestions and air out implementation concerns.
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EMB-7: Proper waste management starts at home (PIA) --- The Environment Management Bureau (EMB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Region 7 emphasized that proper waste management should start at home. Engr. Cindylyn Ochea, chief of Environmental Education and Information Unit (EEIU) of DENR-7, said during the recent Kapihan sa PIA that “we should not forget to integrate in our system especially in the household level to implement the proper waste management.” “Comprehensive solid waste management should be strictly implemented at home since most of the people are now staying in their houses due to the pandemic. Solid waste management is everybody’s concern,” said Ochea. With the pandemic, one of the concerns is the delivery services through online sellers since more than 50 percent are using plastic although there are some also using sustainable packaging, she said. EMB-7 is requesting the public to support solid waste management by creating an environment which is conducive to healing process against this pandemic. Ochea added that one best practice they noticed is that people are now into planting by using recyclable materials as their plant box or pots which is good for the environment and help improve air quality. Meanwhile, EMB-7 will continue to provide technical assistance to the local government units (LGUs) as they will try to manage their waste comprehensively and properly adhering to DENR’s standards. According to Ochea, not more than 80 percent of the LGUs in Central Visayas have started initiatives in the solid waste management program by installing material recovery facilities and establishing “No Segregation, No Collection” policy in their areas. A series of education campaigns through seminars and webinars will be conducted to encourage cooperation from the public on proper waste segregation at the household level. Meanmwhile, in celebration of the Zero Waste Month in January, DENR-7 conducted the “HomEnvi Vid Contest” showcasing the different environmental practices in their homes, including solid, liquid, gaseous, and special waste management. (hfg/PIA7)
Healthcare workers, prayoridad na makatanggap ng bakuna mula sa COVAX facility. #InformInformInform #COVID19Ph
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Wala na’y community transmission, pahayag sa Mayor sa Larena SIQUIJOR, Pebrero 16 (pia) – Gideklarar ni Mayor Dean S. Villa kagahapon pa lamang, Pebrero 15, nga wala na’y community transmission sa lungsod sa Larena. Kini human migawas niadtong Valentines Day ang resulta sa swab tests nga nagnegatibo sa COVID-19 kadtong 93 ka mga katawhang nalambigit sa Patient Nos. 25, 39, 40, 43 ug 44. Tungod niini, gihaw-as na usab sa kagamhanang lokal ang granular lockdown sa duha ka mga barangay sa North ug South Poblacion sa maong lungsod. Hinuon, padayon pa gihapon ang hugot nga pagbantay kon pagpatuman sa surveillance efforts sa sa lungod bisan pa man luwas na kini sa community transmission, sumala sa rekomendasyon sa Rural Health Unit nga gipangulohan ni Dr. Susan Jojie O. Villa. Atol sa panagtigom sa Municipal Emergency Management Response Team(EMRet) niadtong Pebrero 15 sa Queengate Center, hugot nga mipahimangno ang Mayor ug ang Municipal Health Officer sa padayon nga pagbantay ug pagtuman sa mga health protocols aron gayud malikayan ang pagkuyanap sa maong virus. “We cannot do this without everyone’s cooperation. Our next step is to continue placing Larena under surveillance (Dili namo ni mahimo kon wala ang kooperasyon sa tanan. Ang atong sunod nga lakang mao ang pagpailalom lang gihapon sa barangay surveillance). Dili pa gyud ta makampante,” sumala pa ni Dr. Villa. Lakip niini gipahimangnoan sa Doktor kadtong adunay dili maayong gipamati sa ilang
panglawas sa pagpundo sa balay ug pagtugan dayon sa mga kawani sa panglawas, mga opisyales sa ug mga miyembro sa Barangay Health Emergency Response Team (BHERT) aron masuta dayon ang ilang panglawas. Mitunol usab si Mayor Villa sa iyang dakong pasalamat sa tanang mga lumilihok sa paghatag sa ilang suporta hinungdan nga nakalingkawas ang lungsod sa community transmission. “This is only a test to all of us. The kind of management that we did, and the kind of actions
(PIA) -- Magbantay sa mahimong peke nga bakuna, o kadtong bakuna batok kuno sa Corona Virus Disease nga gibaligya ilabi na kay kini tataw nga mini o wala na matipigi og sakto kay nagawas na sa cold chain. Kini maoy pahimangno dala na nga pasiuna nga pahibaw sa Department of Health (DOH) uban sa taho nga may nagbaligya na og mga bakuna kuno sa COVID-19. “Dili kini mahimo kay ang bakuna, tungod sa kanihit niini, gipakompra lamang sa mga kagamhanan subay sa giprograma nga pagbahinbahin sa Global Vaccine Alliance ug sa World Health Organization aron dili mahikawan kadtong mga pobre nga nasud nga walay ikapalit, segun pa sa usa ka website sa Global Vaccine Alliance against Coronavirus Disease (COVAX). Sanglit ang Pilipinas nahi-apil sa kasabutan sa tibuok kalibutan sa pagseguro nga masupplayan sa bakuna, gipahibaw sa DOH nga wala pay gitugotan nga mga tawo nga mamakuha sa bakuna gawas sa goberno lamang. Subay niini, gitubag gilayon sa DOH ang taho nga may mga indibidwal ug mga institusyon nga miangkon nga namaligya og mga bakuna sa COVID-19 kay lagi kuno, nakakuha na kini sa Emergency Use Authority (EUA). Segun pa sa DOH, ang National task Force against COVID-19 (NTF) ug ang Philippine Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) hugot nga namahayag nga ang pagpamaligya ug pagpakompra sa bisan unsa nga bakuna sa COVID-19 dinhi sa Pilipinas, kasamtangan nga gidili pa ug mamahimong supak kini sa balaod.
Gipasabut sa DOH, NTF ug FDA nga ang pagtanyag sa EUA sa nahisgutan nga mga bakuna, dili parehas o katumbas sa product registration o pagtugot na nga ang produkto, ikaligya sa merkado. Bisan sa UEA, ang produkto, dili pa gihapon mahimong ibaligya ug paliton. Sa pagpadagan sa programa sa pagpabakuna sa kagamhanan, aduna kini nga gipirmahan nga mga kasabutan sa mga sakop sa pribado nga sector nga magtugot kanila sa paghatag sa bakuna subay sa sumbanan sa COVID 19 vaccination prioritization framework, saysay sa DOH. Hinuon, wala usab magpasangil ang DOH nga dinhi ang posibilidad nga may bakuna nga nakagawas sa pagtipig sa kagamhanan. Walay lain nga tinubdan sa bakuna nga nia sa sulod sa nasud, goberno lamang, kini usab ang pasalig ni Dr Cesar Tomas Lopez sa mga Bolanon. Bahad sa DOH, NTF ug FDA nga dili nila magarantiya ang kaepektibo, ug luwas nga bakuna kon kini illegal nga gipalit kay mahimong kini mini nga bakuna, o napagawas sa cold chain nga gikamatay sa tambal. Ang pagpadapat sa mini nga bakuna, o sa nadaut na nga bakuna kay nagawas sa cold chain, mahimong may delikado nga kadaut sa lawas, kana kon dili kini ikamatay sa natupokan, bahad sa DOH. Subay niini, gipahibaw na nga daan ang publiko nga maglikay ug isumbong sa mga tinugyanan ang bisan si kinsa nga mangaghat o mamaligya sa bakuna sa COVID-19. (rahc/PIA-7/ Bohol)
Si Municipal Health Officer Susan Jojie Villa atol sa panagtigum sa Municipal EMReT diin iyang gipasabot nga base sa imbestigasyon sa lokal nga hut-ong, ang 90 porsyento sa community transmission dakong posibilidad nakuha sa Patient No. 35 ang impeksyon gikan sa Siquijor Provincial Hospital. (rac/PIA7-Siquijor)
NTF, DOH, FDA mibahad: Ayaw pailad sa bakuna nga gibaligya
that we made are clear manifestations that Larena has always been one especially during crisis,” (Usa ra kini ka pagsulay kanatong tanan. Ang paagi sa atong pagdumala ug paghatag sa suporta maoy timailhan nga ang Larena nagkahiusa ilabi na sa panahon sa krisis), sumala pa ni Villa. Gidayeg ni Villa ang mga kawani sa Rural Health Unit (RHU), mga opisyales sa LGU ug sa duha ka mga apektadong barangay mga miyembro sa Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams, ang Philippine National Police, the Philippine Ports Authority, the Bureau of Fire, tagsa-tagsa ka katawhan ug mga partner-member agencies of the EMReT sa ilang paspas nga ayuda ug ug pagsanong sa mga aksyonug direktiba sa LGU. Gidayeg usab sa Mayor ang mga tunghaan, ang Municipal Sangguniang Kabaan Federation ug ang Philippine Information Agency (PIA) sa tukmang tabang sa pagpalapnag sa tinuod nga mga impormasyon aron pagkontra sa mga haka-haka, bakak ug dili tinuod nga mga impormasyon nga nakahatag hinuon ug kahadlok ug kabalaka sa katilingban. “Thank you so much for the dedication that you have shown in your work and your love for our municipality (Salamat kayo sa inyong dedikasyon ug gugma sa atong lungsod) kay mao man gyud nay pinakaimportante. Everyday will always be Valentines Day for all of us, fronliners, because we love our town, we will do everything to stop the spread of the virus (kada adlaw Valentines Day alang kanatong mga frontliners tungod kay gimahal nato ang atong lungsod, atong buhaton ang tanan aron mapughan ang pagkuyanap sa sakit),” dugang pa ni Villa samtang mipasalamat usab siya sa Labing Makagagahum nga nakakita kon unsa ang angay sa lungsod ug nagpakita kaniya sa klase sa kooperasyon nga gihatag sa mga katawhan. Nanawagan usab ang mayor ug ang municipal health officer sa tanang residente sa pagmabinatayon ug pagtuman sa tanang health protocols sama sa pagsul-ob sa face masks, face shields ug physical social distancing kada adlaw alng sa kaluwasan sa tanan. (rac/PIA7-Siquijor/
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is the Island of Siquijor’s first electronic newsletter produced by the Philippine Information Agency-Siquijor Information Center and the DOST Provincial Science and Technology Center. It contains snippets of information about Siquijor, Central Visayas and the Philippine Government. THERE IS GOOD NEWS EVERYDAY.
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