DAVAO CITY – Food pack distribution, bringing home of stranded residents, and aggressive testing and contact tracing were some of the proactive measures instituted by Davao Oriental amid the continuing fight against Covid-19.
In his virtual State of the Province Address (SOPA) on Wednesday, Governor Nelson Dayanghirang said that following the onset of the outbreak last year and along with quarantine protocols, they implemented border controls and activated “Oplan Sundo” to rescue stranded residents, consisting mostly of students and residents who lost their jobs.
“We also aided locally stranded residents, mostly Returning Overseas Filipinos, thru the Hatid Tulong Program and assisted stranded foreign nationals and their families,” he said in his SOPA.
Dayanghirang said they prioritized food security at the height of the pandemic, with three waves of food packs benefitting 190,000 families.
Telemedicine, a Covid-19 hotline for mental health consultation, and free accommodation and transportation for healthcare providers at the Davao Oriental Provincial Medical Center were also provided to live up to their mantra “No Losses in Diseases”, Dayanghirang said.
Davao Oriental, which is celebrating its 54th founding anniversary Thursday, was among the first in Mindanao to acquire reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction test kits, roll out the extensive mandatory testing, conduct training on contact tracing and swab testing, and institutionalize contact tracing teams down to local government units (LGUs), all of which helped in the early detection and the prevention of massive spread.
As of June 29, the province, which is under modified enhanced community quarantine until July 15, still has 315 active Covid-19 cases.
Out of a total confirmed 2,701 infections, 2,313 have recovered and 73 died.
To further strengthen and sustain its Covid-19 response, Dayanghirang said the Provincial Task Force (PTF) ensured all LGUs are equipped with Department of Health-certified temporary treatment and monitoring facilities, and initiated the “No Losses in Diseases: Kabarangay Kontra Covid-19” which mobilized and empowered villages to take charge of Covid-19 efforts.
“Additionally, the PTF implemented the digital contact tracing system to supplement the province’s contact tracing efforts and rolled out the vaccination program,” he said.
Dayanghirang and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte were among the Regional “Disiplina Muna” Ambassadors chosen by the Department of the Interior and Local Government last year.
“I remain steadfast in my commitment to implement more meaningful programs and projects that will benefit most, if not all, of the residents of the Province of Davao Oriental. After all, everything that we do in the name of public service is for good of the common good,” Dayanghirang stressed.
Source: Philippines News Agency
