Visayas Antique health workers on mop-up drive amid ‘low’ vax coverage

By Annabel Consuelo Petinglay

SAN JOSE DE BUENAVIS-

TA, Antique – Health workers implementing the measles-rubella - oral polio vaccine supplemental immunization activity (MR OPV SIA) in Antique are now conducting mop-up activities to ensure that no target kids are left behind with only a few days left before the May 31 deadline.

“With a few more days left, we are still a bit short of our target that the BHWs and other health workers have been instructed to visit the families of these children,” said Department of Health (DOH) provincial head Dr. Rommel Garganera in an interview on Wednesday.

He said that as of May 23, the MR accomplishment in the province of Antique is only 59.77 percent which is equivalent to 34,948 out of the 58,472t target.

Further, only 50.06 percent or 34,212 out of the 68,339 target have availed of the OPV.

“There might be children who were not able to avail of the immunization earlier because they had

The provincial capitol of Northern Samar in Catarman town. (Photo courtesy of provincial government)

N. Samar introduces Ibábao Fest to mark 58th anniversary

By Sarwell Meniano

TACLOBAN CITY – Northern Samar province will mark its 58th anniversary with the first-ever Ibábao Festival, a series of exciting events that will showcase the rich history, tourism, and cultural heritage of the province. The festival will kick off on June 4 and will run until June 19, the founding anniversary of the province, the local government announced on Wednesday.

other homegrown products through the Agri-Tourism Trade Fair at the capitol grounds from June 4 to 19.

To launch the Ibábao Festival on June 4, a grand Float Parade participated in by local government units will be held around Catarman town, the provincial capital.

the actual number of children in the province is lower.

The MR targets children 9 to 59 months old while the OPV was for zero to 59 months.

“We are still hopeful though to raise the immunization coverage with the results especially from the far-flung municipalities

DA-10 holds a groundbreaking

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY - Department of Agriculture - 10 Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado and Farmer-Director Reynaldo M. Cabanao led the groundbreaking ceremony of the P5.3 million biosecured swine facility at Barangay Rebucon, Kolambugan, Lanao del Norte, recently.

Dir. Collado said that the project aims to improve the local swine industry and adopt a calibrated repopulation strategy to restore the sector’s ability to generate an adequate quantity of hogs and pork.

“Through this project, people can allocate the stocks for breeding

VACCINATION. A Barangay Health Worker (BHW) marks the finger of a boy who availed of the supplemental immunization activity on May 18. Department of Health (DOH) Antique head Dr. Rommel Garganera said in an interview Wednesday (May 24, 2023) that the BHWs and other health workers are now conducting mopping up activities to make sure that targeted children in the measles-rubella (MR) and oral polio vaccine (OPV) could get their needed dose before the end of the month. (PNA photo courtesy of Antique IPHO) been sick or for some other reasons that they were not brought to the Rural Health Units (RHUs), Barangay Health Stations, and other temporary fixed sites who had to be reached out,” Garganera said. He also said that since the target is based on the projected population there could be a possibility that still coming in,” Garganera said. He added that since the start of the month-long campaign, the BHWs had done a big part in terms of advocacy and demand generation, especially in the geographically isolated and disadvantaged area (GIDA) in the province. (PNA)

“The provincial government intends to make the occasion more meaningful by involving the 24 component municipalities of the province and the other sectors of the provincial community, such as the agriculture, fishery, youth, senior citizens, business, tourism, and other industries, among others,” Governor Edwin Ongchuan said in a statement.

The province will feature its indigenous agricultural and

The first in the history of the province, the Festival of Festivals on June 18, will bring together the many festivals observed by the different towns of Northern Samar and will be held at the University of Eastern Philippines Grandstand in Catarman.

Another highlight of the Ibábao Festival is the Search for Mutya san Ibábao, to honor the beauty and unique character of women in the province.

The talent night for the Mutya san Ibábao will be held in San Roque on June 13 while the coronation night is set at the UEP Amphitheater in Catarman See SAMAR , page 9