Albay launches Blue Ribbon Campaign to intensify smoke-free initiative
By: Sally Atento
LEGAZPI CITY, July 3 (PIA) -- The provincial government of Albay spearheaded the launch of the Blue Ribbon Campaign and the Smoke-Free Merit Badge System in the province this June 28 at the St. Ellis Hotel.
This move is to further strengthen the partnership of groups and stakeholders concerned in promoting smoke-free environment.
Smoke-Free Albay Network (SFAN) chairman and Albay board member Herbert Borja said Albay is the first province in the country to launch the Smoke-Free Merit Badge.
It is awarded to boys and girls scouts in recognition of their effort in supporting and implementing the policies and advocacies of the SFAN.
Around 20 boys and girl scouts in the province were awarded with the said merit badge.
Four local government units namely the cities of Legazpi, Tabaco and Ligao and the town of Daraga were also recognized for their promotion of 100 percent Smoke-Free Indoor environment along with 10 business establishments in this city.
In response to the said recognition, Legazpi City Mayor Geraldine Rosal vowed to sustain the enforcement of the smoke-free campaign.
“We can’t rest on our laurels as the Hall of Famer. We will continue to think of ways to further strengthen the program,” Rosal said.
Legazpi City has been recently hailed as the Hall of Famer for being a recipient of the Red Orchid Award for three consecutive years.
Meanwhile, the Blue Ribbon Campaign is the initiative of World Health Organization (WHO) in the Western Pacific Region to serve as mechanism for health advocates to provide recognition of important work carried out by its partners in implementing the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
This year’s campaign anchored on the theme, “Saving Lives from Second-Hand Smoke” focuses on raising awareness on the dangers of second-hand smoke.
Classified by the International Agency for Cancer Research as a carcinogen, second-hand smoke has been the cause of death of more than 600,000 people each year, of which 28 percent are children. (MAL/SAA-PIA 5/Albay)
DA geotagging infra projects underway in Bicol
LEGAZPI CITY, July 3 -- The Department of Agriculture has adopted the geotagging technology in the Bicol region to ensure transparency and to enforce accountability in the implementation of government projects particularly those under infrastructure.
The Information and Technology Center for Agriculture and Fisheries (ITCAF), under the Matuwid na D.A.A.N. (Department of Agriculture Accountability Network) Program, spearheaded the implementation and application of the said technology.
Geotagging is the process of adding geographical identification metadata to various media, such as a geotagged photographs, websites, SMS messages, or RSS feeds. It is in a form of geospatial metadata that may include altitude, bearing, distance, accuracy data and names of places.
With this feature, the public can easily identify location-specific information of a project.
Currently, the DA-V Planning and Project Development and Evaluation Division along with the GPS team from the ITCAF are working together to geotag and gather information on the ongoing infrastructure projects of the DA in the provinces of Albay, Camarines Sur and Camarines Norte using the Garmin Global Positioning System.
The public can access these projects along with other geotagged projects at the recently launched Matuwid na D.A.A.N. website. The projects, accomplishments, disbursements and other needed information are likewise posted for public viewing to serve as the Department’s accountability network.
The global positioning system is a space-based satellite navigation system that provides location and time information in all weather, anywhere on or near the Earth. (MAL/SAA-PIA 5/Albay)
PhilHealth launches available new set of primary care benefits
TABACO CITY, July 3 (PIA) -- Demonstrating a significant move in pursuit of Universal Health Care (UHC) to benefit the Filipino people, the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) introduced Friday ( June 29) the new set of enhanced benefits designed to improve the financial risk protection for its members through the availability of quality outpatient and inpatient medical and health services.
PhilHealth President and CEO Dr. Eduardo Banzon and Mayor Krisel Lagman-Luistro led the launching of the Primary Care Benefits I (PCB I) Package that entitles members to basic, quality health care services through accredited public health care providers nationwide.
Banzon said that the launch of the package in this city was the first in the entire country, noting that it was held here as Tabaco City has taken the lead among other local governments in the country in the promotion of PhilHealth programs.
“Tabaco City has exhibited its continuous support to PhilHealth programs and initiatives with its relentless drive to provide the locales of necessary health and medical services through enlistment to the government insurance corporation,” Banzon said.
Luistro, on the other hand, cited PhilHealth for bolder initiatives to improve services and develop new more responsive health and medical programs the likes of PCB I for its members, providing more relief to the poor sectors of the community.
Tabaco City, according to Luistro, enlisted 6,989 members to PhilHealth in 2010 paying P4.193 million in premiums, while only 2,387 availed of the company’s benefits amounting to P17.193 million.
“It is interesting to note that less than half of the enrolled members availed of PhilHealth service, meaning to say only few fell sick among the residents that also entails that the health programs of the city government proved efficient,” Luistro added.
“With the new package adding primary health care, with even the inclusion of more reproductive health services, we remain committed and continue to support such innovations in PhilHealth programs,” the mayor stressed.
PCB I allows primary health care providers greater flexibility in the range of services the company can offer to enlisted PhilHealth clients, including consultations, regular blood pressure monitoring, and health promotion like education on breastfeeding, counseling on lifestyle modification, and smoking cessation.
Medicines for common diseases like asthma and acute gastroenteritis (AGE) with no or mild dehydration, upper respiratory tract infection/pneumoni,a and urinary tract infection are also included and expected to be provided by the providers of this package.
Diagnostic services such as complete blood count, urinalysis, sputum microscopy, fasting blood sugar, lipid profile, and chest x-ray are also available.
Banzon further explained that initially, these new benefits will be available to members under the Sponsored, Organized Groups, and Overseas Workers Program and to their qualified dependents, yet eventually, all other members in the different categories will have access to these benefits.”
Availment of the PCB I benefits entailed the assignment of sponsored program (SP) members to designated rural health units (RHUs), health centers, or outpatient departments (OPDs) of government hospitals nearest them, while OG and OWP members may choose their PCB I providers from the list of government hospitals that provides PCB I services.
Since April 1, PhilHealth has been assigning the SP members to designated PCB providers – RHUYs, HCs, and Out-patient Departments (OPDs) of government hospitals nationwide.
“The accredited provider shall actively seek out the SP members in their localities and once these members sign the master list, then they will be entitled to the benefits by presenting their valid PhilHealth ID cards,” Banzon stressed.
These members need not pay any amount to avail of these benefits.
Banzon also reminded SP members to avail themselves of the outpatient benefits which must be made within the validity period specified in their PhilHealth ID cards.
Members under the OG must have made at least three months contributions within the immediate six months prior to the use of the card, while OWP members can avail themselves of the benefits as soon as they have paid their annual premium.
“PhilHealth re-affirms its commitment to ensure better financial protection for our members in times they need it most and PCB I is a step towards this direction. The new benefit will also allow existing health centers/rural health units to improve and expand vital primary health care services, and continue to meet the increased demand for these services,” said Banzon. (MAL-PIA 5, Albay)
Naga City health office steps up dengue campaign
NAGA CITY, July 3 (PIA) -- Local health authorities stepped up its campaign to eliminate breeding sites of dengue-carrying mosquitoes and avoid the increase of fatalities.
This, after the first fatality was reported last week.
Mayor John Bongat declared the city under state of calamity since May, after there was a 105 percent increase in dengue case recorded by the City Health Office.
The declaration placed the 27 barangays under a vigilant and close watch for dengue attack. The cases went down for a while during the first three weeks of June, but got an unexpected turnaround when the rainy season started.
City Health Officer Dr. Vito Borja said last month the cases were down to 86.8 percent after they distributed supplies of PesGuard, a spray concentrate used for thermal fogging.
They have already sprayed it to almost all public schools in the city, including barangays with high cases of dengue.
The office also allocated Sumilarv 0.56, a chemical that kills mosquito eggs even before they can be hatched and pose great dengue threat to the community.
“We have already employed all the necessary steps to eliminate breeding sites but we admit that we cannot do it alone. We need the help of the community to conduct their own clean up drives and ensure that their houses are free from possible areas where these mosquitoes might populate,“ Borja said in an interview.
Barangay Calauag was among the top three barangays that had the most number of cases in the city, along with Barangays Dayangdang and Igualdad, occupying the top and second places, respectively.
Borja also reminded the city’s constituents to remember that the 4S is the best way to combat dengue.
On top of the list is to search and destroy dengue breeding sites. This would entail cooperation from each household to ensure that the surroundings are free from clutters and presence of water habitat which can be a potential breeding area.
Next is for the patients to seek an immediate medical attention once fever sets in.
Doctors are also advising the populace to be also responsible by employing self-protection measures such as wearing pants, long sleeves and application of insect repellants. Saying no to indiscriminate fogging is also part of the measures.
Discriminate or responsible fogging, Borja said can be employed when a certain area is already under dengue attack.
Aedes Aegypti and Aedes Albopictus were identified as dengue carriers.
Symptoms to watch for if inflicted with the dengue H-fever include sudden rise of fever within the duration of 2-7 days, body ache, head ache and feeling of restlessness. Small patches might start to show up, stomach ache, gum and nose bleeding and vomiting among others. (LSM-PIA 5, Camarines Sur)
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