Thursday, June 13, 2013

Land Transportation Office-Bicol, kampiyon sa pagpapatupad ng Helmet Law




Ni: FB Tumalad

LUNGSOD NG SORSOGON, Hunyo 14 (PIA) –  Matapos ang pinaigting na kampanya ng Helmet Law ng Land Transportation Office-Bicol, nagbunga rin ang pagpapakahirap ng mga opisyal na matapos na mabigyan ito ng pagkilala at mapiling kampiyon  sa   mahigpit na pagpapatupad  ng batas sa paggamit ng helmet laban sa mga drayber na hindi nagsusuot ng protective gear sa ulo sa pagmamaneho.

Sinabi ni LTO Sorsogon Chief Felicidad Mendoza, basehan aniya ng LTO Manila sa pagpisil ng kampiyon ay ang performance, istatistika o laki ng bilang ng mga nahuling walang suot na proteksyon sa ulo at iba pang bayolasyon.

Matapos maaprubahan ang Motorcycle Helmet Act of 2009  at tuluyang isakatuparan ng  ahensya ang panghuhuli sa mga motoristang nagbibiyahe ng walang sapat na proteksyon sa kanilang mga ulo ay bumilang na ng maraming nahuhuling pasaway na nagmomotor at hindi sumusunod sa itinatakda ng Helmet Law.

Sa pamamagitan aniya ng  pagbibigay insentibo  tulad ng parangal bilang pagkilala sa ipinakitang  sipag, tiyaga at kagalingan sa pagganap sa tungkulin ng mga deputized agent sa kanilang hanay ay  nagbunga ito ng karangalan, karangalang hindi kailanman maaring pantayan ng anumang halaga upang higit pang pagbutihin ng mga ito ang kanilang sinumapaang trabaho.

Sinabi pa ni Mendoza na sa kabila ng mababang bilang ng mga personahe o tauhan ng kanilang tanggapan sa kasalukuyan, kung saan umaabot lamang sa 15 katao ang umiikot sa loob ng 24 na oras sa loob ng 7 araw sa ibat-ibang panig ng probinsya sa Bicol ay buong husay pa ring kinakitaan ng magandang pagganap sa kanilang mga tungkulin ang mga tauhan ng LTO.

Ayon pa sa hepe, nakipag-unayan na rin sa kanya si Sorsogon City Police Chief PSSupt. Edgardo Ardales Jr.  para humingi  ng karagdagang ahente  upang makatulong sa pagmamantini ng maayos at ligtas na trapiko sa mga kalsada.

Aminado si Mendoza na malaki ang kakulangan nila sa tauhan at  ipinarating na nya sa kanilang direktor ang kahilingang dagdag personahe para maagang ma-isailalim ang mga ito sa seminar  bilang mga bagong deputized  agent  at maikalat sa lungsod at probinsya ng Sorsogon.

Tiniyak naman ng kanilang direktor na aaksyunan nila ang nasabing kahilingan. (FB Tumalad, PIA Sorsogon)



Watawat ng Pilipinas makikita sa mga pampublikong paaralan, tanggapan at pribadong establisimyento sa Sorsogon City



Philippine Flag
Ni: FB Tumalad

LUNGSOD NG SORSOGON, Hunyo 12 (PIA) – Simula pa kahapon ay makikitang halos karamihan sa mga batang mag-aaral sa elementarya ay mayroong dalang watawat ng Pilipinas.

Ang watawat ng Pilipinas ay taunan nang pinapagawa ng mga guro sa mga batang mag-aaral upang itatak sa isipan ng mga ito kung ano ba talaga ang kahulugan ng bandila ng Pilipinas at bakit sila kailangan maging pamilyar nito.

Ayon sa kasaysayan ang kauna-unahang bandila ng Pilipinas na may disenyong kulay asul, pula at puting trayanggulo, araw at sinag nito at tatlong bituin ang unang tinanggap taong 1898 sa kasagsagan ng labanan ng Espanya at Pilipinas.

Ang bandila ng Pilipinas ay sumasagisag sa isang bansang malaya at  pagiging Pilipino, kung saan ang disenyo nitong walong sinag ay kumakatawan sa walong probinsya  na  nasa estado ng digmaan na kinabibilangan ng Maynila, Cavite, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Laguna at Batangas.

Ang tatlong bituin naman ay sumisimbolo sa tatlong malalaking kontinente ng Pilipinas, ito ay ang Luzon, Visayas at Mindanao habang ang puting trayangulo naman ay sagisag ng pagkapantay-pantay ng mga Pilipino.

Ang kulay asul ay simbolo ng kapayapaan, katotohanan at hustisya, at ang kulay pulang disenyo ay sumasagisag ng katapatan sa bansa at pagiging makabayan.

Mapupuna rin ang mga naglalakihang bandilang nakasabit sa mga pribadong tindahan sa kabisera ng lungsod na nakikiisa sa ika-isandaan at labinlimang taong ng kalayaan ng Pilipinas at upang sariwain ang kabayanihang ipinakita ng mga Pilipinong nagbuwis ng kanilang mga buhay para lamang makamit ng bansa ang tunay na kalayaan. (FB Tumalad, PIA Sorsogon)


Tuesday, June 11, 2013

GARC-SORSOGON RABIES PROJECT: Paving the way for a Rabies-Free Province



SORSOGON CITY, June 13 (PIA) – In 1993, the Province of Sorsogon boasted a record of 73.5% vaccination coverage in a period of one month, the most successful outcome of a rabies elimination project in the province. So effective it was that no animal and human rabies cases were reported three years following the project. Unfortunately, with limited sustained efforts for maintaining freedom, rabies was re-introduced into the province. This time, Sorsogon is determined more than ever to repeat their previous success and reclaim their status as a rabies-free province.

Turning Thoughts into Actions

The rabies elimination program in the province has come a long way, from its conceptualization during the term of former Governor Sally Ante Lee to its implementation initiated by the current Governor, Hon. Raul Lee and spearheaded by the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) with Dr. Enrique Espiritu at the helm. The Provincial Government also tapped the participation of the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Provincial Federation wherein the youths from the 541 barangays throughout Sorsogon came together to support the rabies project of the province through an initiative aptly called “Nagkakaisang Kabataan Sa Pagpuksa ng Rabis.”
      
To strengthen their rabies control efforts, the Province of Sorsogon teamed up with the Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC), an international non-profit organization committed to eliminate human deaths from rabies and relieve the burden of rabies in animals, especially dogs. On September 19, 2012, a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) was signed between the province and GARC, represented by its Director for Asia, Dr. Mary Elizabeth Miranda.

Though it is good news that the province has recorded a significant decrease in rabies incidence for the past two years with only two human and four positive canine cases reported last year, the Provincial Government still saw the need to address the increasing demand for a rabies control program for the province. Consequently, Governor Raul Lee issued the Executive Order (EO) Number 002 Series of 2013, which allowed the ratification of the ordinances in Section 7 (Pet Owners’ Penalties) of the Republic Act 9482 or the Anti-Rabies Act of 2007 and created a task force to intensify its implementation. While the EO stresses the need to intensify the campaign against rabies, it specifically calls for a more realistic program ensuring the active participation of the local government units through a task force that will be formed in partnership with GARC. In response, local executives particularly the Municipal Mayors have strongly expressed their support to the GARC-Sorsogon Province Rabies Project.

Sorsogon’s Vigor Goes a Long Way

As part of the collaboration between Sorsogon and GARC, the Communities Against Rabies Exposure or CARE Project is currently being implemented in the province. The CARE Project, which is one of GARC’s key initiatives, generally aims to engage government authorities, global scientific community, and above all, communities to develop novel integrated models to include multiple disease and other public health concerns.
Along with Sorsogon, other CARE project sites include the Province of Ilocos Norte, Marikina City, and Cainta Municipality in the Philippines, and Nias Island in Indonesia.

Various activities have already been held leading to the launching of the GARC-Sorsogon Province Rabies Project. On January 28, 2013, more than 300 participants including SK members, representatives from the Provincial and City Veterinary Office, Barangay Officials, and Barangay Health Workers, among others participated in the Orientation-Training for Vaccinators and Barangay Bantay Rabies Committee (Technical Working Group). Local officials, including Sorsogon City Councilor Hon. IƱigo Destacamento and Sorsogon City Mayor, Hon. Leovic Dioneda also graced the event. A Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices (KAP) Survey, which involved the Provincial Health Office was also conducted last February 18 to March 1, 2013.

As a recipient of the CARE project, vaccination kits and other vaccination paraphernalia were distributed during the Vaccinators’ Training and Orientation. Tarpaulins, posters, and billboards have been installed in several strategic places, and localized materials such as brochures were distributed in a bid to intensify the rabies Advocacy, Communication, and Education (ACE) campaign of the province.

In line with the annual celebration of the Rabies Awareness Month in March, the GARC-Sorsogon Province Rabies Project was formally launched in the Municipality of Bulan, Sorsogon last March 5, 2013. The Launching was well-attended by the Mayors and Municipal Agriculturists of the different municipalities and representatives from the PVO, Governor’s Office, SK Provincial Federation, and GARC, among others. One of the highlights of the event was the signing of a symbolic declaration by the participants, signifying their commitment and involvement towards attaining a rabies-free Sorsogon.         

According to Provincial Veterinarian, Dr. Enrique Espiritu, the GARC-Sorsogon Province Rabies Project seeks to eliminate the transmission of rabies from one dog to another by vaccinating at least 70% of the total dog population in the area. In this case, their goal is to vaccinate at least 70% of the 52,121 dogs throughout the province within two months. To achieve this target, mass dog vaccinations were carried out all over Sorsogon from April to May 2013. With a group of veterinarians on the lead, the SK members were also trained and tapped as volunteer vaccinators.

The PVO has recorded 3,655 dogs vaccinated, in just a span of three weeks after the Vaccinators’ Training in January. Dr. Espiritu also reported that more than a thousand doses of dog vaccines were initially distributed to the towns of Irosin, Donsol, Magallanes, and Pilar. While the vaccination is still ongoing, a total of 15,843 dogs and cats have been vaccinated throughout the province as of May, 2013.


The road to achieving a rabies-free community may be arduous but the Provincial Government of Sorsogon is optimistic that this can be accomplished through the unwavering support and active participation of the Sorsoganons. The GARC-Sorsogon Rabies Project has given the province a head start on their rabies elimination project and with their current efforts, Sorsogon is undoubtedly on its way to becoming a rabies-free province. (Dane Medina, GARC Communications Officer with inputs from Ms. Benilda Recebido, PIA Sorsogon & Mr. Von Andre Labalan, PIO Sorsogon)

PHOTOS:

1) GARC Asia Director, Dr. Mary Elizabeth Miranda & Sorsogon Provincial Veterinarian, Dr. Enrique Espiritu pose beside one of the Rabies Billboards installed in Sorsogon; 2) Rabies information poster and tarpaulin installed at the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Office in support to the GARC-Sorsogon Rabies Project; 3) (from left to right) Dr. Ederlinda Malonzo from the Sorsogon City Veterinary Office; Regional Animal Rabies Control Coordinator-RFU 5, Dr. Rona Bernales; Dr. Enrique Espiritu; & Sorsogon City Veterinarian, Dr. Alexander Destura with GARC Communications Officer, Ms. Dane Medina for the turn-over of materials (dog tags and collars, brochures, tarpaulins) during the Vaccinators’ Training; and 4) Staff of the City Veterinary Office prepare the Vaccination Kits, T-shirts, & other materials distributed during the Vaccinators’ Training

 Scenes from the province-wide mass vaccination: 6) The Zone 5 Barangay Patrol of the town of Bulan rove around their barangay announcing the mass vaccination; 7) Localized leaflets given upon registration of SK members during the orientation in the town of Donsol; 8) The vaccinators assemble at the City Veterinary Office to receive their Vaccination Kits; 9) Barangay officials after receiving their vaccination paraphernalia during the project launching; and 10) Agricultural Center Chief, Dr. Venus Escarda (left)vaccinates a dog as part of the demonstration during the project launching.

11) GARC Medical Epidemiologist, Dr. Maria Concepcion Roces discusses the tasks of the participants during the KAP Survey Orientation in Bulan; 12) Launching of the GARC-Sorsogon Province Rabies Project; 13) Representatives of the SK Provincial Federation with local executives and GARC Asia Director, Dr. Mary Elizabeth Miranda (sixth from left) during the project launching; and 14) The Pledge of Commitment signed by the participants during the launching of the GARC-Sorsogon Rabies Project.