BAGUIO CITY – The City Council, during last Monday’s regular session, strongly encouraged all the city’s one hundred twenty-eight barangays to establish and maintain their barangay heath protocol desk to further strengthen the government’s fight against the rapid spread of the dreaded Corona Virus Disease (COVID) 2019.
In a resolution, local legislators stated that for a more focused approach on the implementation of all city and barangay-initiated health-related measures, thus, a barangay health protocol desk is highly need in each of the city’s barangays to help in having a holistic approach to contain the spread of the deadly virus.
The council claimed that the proposed barangay health protocol desk may be manned by a designated health protocol focal person like the barangay health workers or any member of the barangay health emergency response team.
The body stipulated that the primordial purpose for the establishment of a health desk in the barangays is to ensure that health protocols through customized and strategic information, education and empowerment campaign are being observed at al times by all residents in the said barangays.
According to the council, the aforesaid measure is in support to the result of a recent research and study which showed that the main cause on the continuous surge of COVID-19 cases is due to the low compliance and observance of health protocols among residents and inhabitants.
It is the policy of the State to protect and promote the right to health of the people and instill health consciousness among them. Subsequently, the national government, through the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), recognized the critical role of the barangays in preventing the rapid spread of the virus and urged all barangay officials to be more proactive in the enforcement of minimum health protocols in their respective communities.
Moreover, no less than DILG Secretary Eduardo An֮o said that barangays should adopt measures to further promote health to preserve the comfort and convenience of the barangay inhabitants, especially during the present public health emergency.
DILG previously issued several advisories reminding all punong barangays nationwide to closely monitor the adherence within their respective jurisdictions of the practice of wearing of face masks, physical or social distancing, regular handwashing and the availability of sanitizers, clean water and soap.
Earlier, the local government was able to come up with strengthened and up to date health-related measures to control and to possibly curb the rapid spread of the virus in the city like the recently approved amended ordinance requiring residents, inhabitants, including tourists and visitors the mandatory wearing not only of face masks but also of face shields outside their residences.
The council will be forwarding a copy of the approved resolution to the city’s 128 barangays and concerned government agencies and offices for their information, guidance and further needed action.
By Dexter A. See