BONTOC, Mtn. Prov.–The Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Mountain Province has passed Provincial Ordinance 368 entitled “ An Ordinance prohibiting any person from committing any act which causes stigma, disgrace, shame, humiliation, harassment or any other form of discrimination against any person with suspected, probable or confirmed case of COVID-19 including private and public doctors, nurses, health workers, emergency personnel, volunteers, barangay health workers, frontliners, and service workers who are assigned in hospitals, checkpoints and other centers and imposing penalties thereof”.
The measure, authored by Board Member Federico Onsat, will penalize those who discriminate the frontliners and health workers who are at the forefront of the fight against this COVID-19 pandemic.
Board Member Onsat said that even those who were declared as “positive” are being discriminated against. “There were reported discriminatory acts committed against these people who risk their lives and who endure the pain of being away from their families for a considerable period of time in order to protect the people from the virus.
“It is unfair that these health workers receive such kind of treatment from indifferent people who are supposed to give support and encouragement”, stated the Ordinance.
Suspected, probable, and even confirmed COVID-19 patients are being looked down on as threats to the safety of the people when they instead should be given the utmost understanding and affection they need in this time of the fight against the virus.
People reportedly shy away from them. Some have enclosed the residences of the victims instead of helping them. There were some sort of reported discriminatory acts or utterances of people relative to the pandemic against the frontliners.
The Ordinance has spelled out the prohibited acts as: “any act or utterance, statement or deed that downgrades, demeans, or belittles status and dignity of COVID-19 suspects, probable or confirmed positive patients and against the doctors, nurses, health workers, emergency personnel, volunteers, frontliners, and service workers on account of their duties in COVID-19;
Denying or refusing fully recovered COVID-19 patients, health workers and frontliners access to basic goods and services, accommodation or lodging;
Inflicting physical harm, or threatening to inflict physical harm on COVID-19 patients (suspect, probable or confirmed), health workers and frontliners;
Announcing, revealing, publishing or posting in social media any information containing the name, address, health condition or whereabouts of COVID-19 patients (suspect, probable, or confirmed) whether or not said information is verified by the Department of Health without the consent of the affected persons and that only the authorized officers may make any announcement”.
Anybody who is found violating the Ordinance shall be fined the amount of Two Thousand Five Hundred Pesos (P2,500.00) or imprisonment of one to six (6) months or both at the discretion of the court.
“It is therefore indispensable to enact a measure to discourage any form of discrimination to help ensure the success in the battle against the virus”, the Ordinance stated.
The Ordinance shall be effective 15 days after the publication in a newspaper of general circulation in the province.
Meanwhile, Governor Bonifacio Lacwasan Jr. honored and gave much appreciation to the frontliners and health workers during his State of the Province Address (SOPA) delivered last January 12, 2021 before the members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan and heads and assistant heads of offices of the provincial government.
“We also give recognition to the health sector led by our Provincial Health Office in coordination with the Provincial Health Board, District Hospitals, Municipal Health Offices, Barangay Health Workers, the Luis Hora Memorial Regional Hospital and other health workers in the designated TTMFs and isolation facilities in all municipalities”, he said
He also heaped praises and thanked them for their hardships and sacrifices in the performance of their duties and responsibilities even if it means being away from their families for a period of reported time.**Roger Sacyaten