DOH warns of possible leptospirosis outbreak in Region 8

TACLOBAN CITY, Feb. 2 (PNA) -– The Department of Health (DOH) has warned residents in low lying communities of possible leptospirosis outbreak as more rains have been dumped in the region in the past three weeks.

In January, two young males from this city and in Naval, Biliran contracted the disease after crossing flooded areas with waters contaminated by rat urine, the source of the bacterial disease.

Roderick Boyd Cerro, chief of the DOH Eastern Visayas regional epidemiology and surveillance unit, said local health workers have been instructed to step up information drive to prevent the leptospirosis disease.

“Most victims are male and farmers since they usually cross flooded areas,” Cerro said.

The DOH has prepositioned prophylaxis drugs near flood-prone communities to be taken by highly susceptible population.

Cerro advised those who wade in flood waters to observe symptoms of the bacterial disease that has an incubation period of seven to 10 days. 

Among the symptoms of leptospirosis in its early stages are high fever, muscle pains, chills, eye redness, abdominal pains, vomiting, rashes, and diarrhea. 

If left untreated, leptospirosis could lead to urinary problems that, in turn, could lead to kidney failure. (PNA)
FFC/SARWELL Q. MENIANO

47 community fish landing centers to rise in Eastern Visayas

TACLOBAN CITY,  Feb. 1 (PNA) – The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) will construct 47 community fish landing centers (CFLCs) in Eastern Visayas in a bid to enhance the socio-economic conditions of poor fishing villages.

Of the 47 projects, only the facilities in Marabut, Daram and Pinabacdao in Samar province have ongoing construction since it took time for other recipient local government units to complete documentary requirements, said BFAR Regional Director Juan D. Albaladejo.

“We have to ensure that all these 47 projects will start early of 2016 because we are expecting 16 more fish landing centers for Leyte, Southern Leyte and Biliran provinces this year,” Albaladejo said.

Up for construction this year are CFLCs in Bobon, Catarman, Biri, Mapanas, Gamay, San Roque, Palapag, Pambujan, Lapinig, Rosario, San Isidro, Mondragon, San Jose, Lavezares, and San Vicente in Northern Samar.

In Samar, recipient areas are Arteche, Balangkayan, Borongan City, Laoang, Maydolong, Llorente, Can-avid, Lawaan, Salcedo, Guiuan, General Macarthur, Mercedes, Quinapondan, Hernani, and Giporlos.

Aside from the three areas in Samar province with ongoing construction, other sites are Tarangnan, Paranas, Catbalogan City, Motiong, Calbiga, Pagsanghan, Calbayog City, Basey, Tagapul-an, Almagro, Zumarraga, and Sta. Margarita.

Each of the three Samar provinces will have 15 new CFLCs. The other two facilities will rise in Hilongos and Dulag towns in Leyte.

Among the requirements to kick off the project are city or town council resolution, memorandum of agreement, Community Environment and Natural Resources Office certification, evaluation report, validation checklist, location map, executive order, site inspection report, and tenurial instrument. 

The CFLCs, each costing Php2.85 million, will house post-harvest equipment and tools that will enable fisher folks to preserve the good quality of their fish and fishery products, which they could sell for a higher price. 

“Local consumers will also benefit from the fish landing centers as they will have better access to safe and quality fishery commodities,” Alabaladejo said.

The facilities will also be opened as venues for skills trainings on disaster-resilient fisheries-based livelihoods and resource management such as monitoring fish catch and stock assessment.

The National Anti Poverty Commission recommendation the recipient areas based on poverty incidence, municipal density, fish production, number of registered fisherfolk and number of existing fish ports and fish landing areas.

The central government aims to complete the establishment of CFLCs by 2017. (PNA)
FPV/SARWELL Q. MENIANO

DOH Eastern Visayas targets 120,000 kids for polio vaccines

PALO, Leyte, Feb. 1 (PNA) -– The Department of Health (DOH) Eastern Visayas will embark on a massive campaign against polio disease this year, targeting 120,000 vulnerable children for immunization.

The whole year round administration of polio vaccine will target children less than five years of age who has not been fully immunized because they are highly vulnerable to polio, said DOH Regional Director Minerva Molon.

“Our target is to achieve 95 percent of the target population to be administered with polio vaccines. In the past years, Philippines has failed to achieve that target, placing the country at high risk for poliovirus outbreak,” Molon told reporters.

Polio, according to DOH is highly contagious disease caused when the poliovirus invades the nervous system. Signs and symptoms include fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiff neck and sudden onset of floppy arms or legs.

Since there is no cure for polio, the government has been pushing for massive immunization to prevent the disease.

According to DOH, the last case of wild poliovirus in the country was reported in 1993. The country has been polio-free since 2000. However, circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus cases were detected in 2001.

To stop its global transmission, health authorities introduce a dose of inactivated polio vaccine in routine immunization. (PNA)
FFC/SQM

Eastern Visayas athletic meet kicks off in Ormoc

ORMOC CITY, Leyte, Feb. 1 (PNA) -- Almost 7,000 student athletes and technical officials converged at the Ormoc Sports Complex for the opening ceremonies of the Eastern Visayas Regional Athletic Association (EVRAA) meet on Sunday. 

Braving the blazing afternoon sun, the participants and thousands of spectators witnessed what EVRAA veterans described as one of the best opening rites for the meet.

The holding of the school-based sports event is done by virtue of Republic Act 10588 or the Palarong Pambansa of Act of 2013 which mandates the state to promote physical education, encourage sports programs and lead competitions including training for national competitions. 

EVRAA serves as a training ground of local athletes for the Palarong Pambansa, the Department of Education’s (DepEd) premier sporting event.

This year’s theme for the EVRAA meet is “Creating Opportunities, Accelerating Success for Sports Development through K-12.” Thirteen delegations will compete in 22 events – 17 regular and five demo sports – to be held in 25 playing venues around the city.

The regular sports are archery, arnis, athletics, badminton, basketball, boxing, chess, football, gymnastics,sepak takraw, softball, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis and volleyball. The demo sports, on the other hand, are billiards, wrestling, wushu, futzal and sepak takraw for girls.

The biggest delegation comes from Tacloban City with 612 members consisting of 445 athletes, 68 coaches, 87 officials and 12 chaperons. It is also the consistent champion of the annual meet since 2011. 

Ormoc, on the other hand, placed 3rd on 2013 and 2015. EVRAA was canceled in 2014 after super typhoon Yolanda.

The other delegates come from the cities of Baybay, Borongan, Calbayog, Catbalogan and Maasin as well as the provinces of Biliran, Samar, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Leyte and Southern Leyte. 

They are billeted at 12 schools for the entire duration of the games until Feb. 5.

DepEd Regional Director Luisa Yu in her speech described 2015 as a milestone for EVRAA when it had a leap in ranking from the previous years of 17th place. 

“This changed in 2014 when the association’s rank climbed to 14th despite the cancellation of the EVRAA meet that year,” Yu said. The rank further rose to 11th place in 2015. 

“This shows that we are constantly improving in the field of athletics. This is the challenge for us since we need to sustain our increasing performance,” Yu added. 

She also thanked Mayor Edward C. Codilla for accepting the challenge to host this year’s meet. (PNA)
FPV/SQM/FNC

Calbayog City targets 50,000 enrolees in next school year

CATBALOGAN CITY, Samar, Feb. 1 (PNA) -– Basic education schools in this city is eyeing to attract at least 50,000 learners in the next academic year.

Department of Education (DepEd) Calbayog schools division superintendent Raul Agban said that out of the 50,000 target enrolees, 4,000 are kindergarten; 16,000 are elementary; and 30,000 for secondary.

Based on DepEd record, enrolment has dropped in all levels this academic year.

Agban reminded all parents to enlist their children during early registration in all public elementary and secondary schools that kicked off on Jan. 30 and will conclude on Feb. 9, 2016.

The official stressed that the said activity is vital to DepEd since this will guide them on classrooms and teachers allocations in every campus.

He also appealed to stakeholders to help in ensure the smooth implementation of early registration.

DepEd has issued Department Order No. 5, series of 2016 to ensure that all five-year-old children are enrolled in kindergarten, locate children and youth not currently enrolled and bring them back to school.

The directive seeks to understand the barriers to access education and identify local solutions or interventions to bring them to school and ensure that they will not drop out. (PNA)

FFC/SQM/JENNIFER S. ALLEGADO/EGR