Bontoc, Mountain Province – The Bontoc Local Government Unit (LGU) continuously protects its employees and the frontliners in the municipality against the Coronavirus disease -2019 (COVID-19).
This September, the Bontoc LGU has again purchased and provided Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and multivitamins to all Bontoc LGU officials and employees including those employed in job order and contractual status, Barangay Health Workers (BHWs), barangay officials, Bontoc Municipal Police Station (MPS), Bontoc Municipal Fire Station, and employees of National Government Agencies whose offices are located at the Bontoc Municipal Capitol. The national government agencies include the Commission on Election (Comelec), Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), and Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP). The PPE includes boxes of facemask and face shields.
According to Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer Johanna Padaen, the budget for the purchase of the PPE and multivitamins was sourced out from the Bayanihan Grant to Cities and Municipalities.
In a separate interview with Bontoc Mayor Franklin Odsey, he remarked that these initiatives of Bontoc LGU aim to protect its employees and clients against COVID -19.
“Our frontliners and employees deserve the support and the protection that we could provide because they are exposed to the health risk,” Odsey mentioned.
It is to be noted that since the start of the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) and the shifting of Mountain Province to Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ), the Bontoc LGU has been providing PPE, multivitamins, alcohol, and disinfectant to its employees, National Government Agencies whose offices are located at the Bontoc Municipal Capitol, and other frontliners to include the personnel from the Bontoc Municipal Police Station (MPS), Bontoc Municipal Fire Station, Barangay Health Workers (BHWs) and barangay officials.
Also, since the start of the community quarantine, the Bontoc LGU has implemented strict measures to prevent and avoid the spread of the virus. These include strict implementation of No facemask/ no face shield, No entry at the Bontoc Municipal Capitol; conduct of thermal scanning by the staff of the Rural Health Unit (RHU) to all employees and clients entering the Bontoc Municipal Capitol; adoption of the memorandum circular of the Civil Service Commission on alternative work arrangement especially to employees who are considered vulnerable; implementation of one-meter physical distancing especially to frontline services of the Bontoc LGU; and disinfection in all offices every afternoon. // Alpine L. Killa, Bontoc –LGU