ALFONSO LISTA, IFUGAO – – Ill-prepared to well-prepared!
This transformation of the Barangay Health Emergency and Response Team (BHERT) took place as an aftermath of the Awareness of the coronavirus (COVID-19) disease outbreak activity at the Liga Hall in Alfonso Lista.
In attendance are BHERT members composed of barangay health workers (BHWs), chief tanod (watchman), nurse or midwife.
A number of punong barangays (village chieftains) accompanied them during the three-hour interactive meeting.
Alfonso Lista, a third-class municipality in the second geographical district of Ifugao, has 20 barangays.
Like in many other towns in the Philippines, Alfonso Lista’s BHERT rapidly responded to the call to reactivate, prepare and beef up itself for the seemingly long and protracted campaign to contain the COVID-19 disease.
To date, there is still no vaccine for the coronavirus ailment.
On January 30, 2020, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año ordered the immediate reactivation of the BHERTs throughout the country.
Among the first to respond positively to the official order was the municipal field office of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) at Alfonso Lista headed by OIC MLGOO Florita Narciza.
The DILG is exerting its utmost to support the Office of the President in achieving its avowed goal of undercutting the cases of the COVID-19 disease. Side-by-side with the Department of Health (DOH), the DILG is currently pursuing initiatives aimed at fortifying local government units (LGUs) in their valiant efforts to address the problem.
“Following the declaration of the ‘State of Emergency’ by President Duterte, there is a need to look into this matter with a sense of urgency and I’m glad that the DILG has tapped the expertise and services of the BHERTs at this critical time of our history,” Mayor Edralin Alipio told the ZigZag Weekly.
The Philippines is under Code Red (Sub-level 1), indicating at least one recorded transmission case. This refers to the first COVID-19 case in San Juan City, Metro Manila.
The punong barangays have been tasked to mobilize the BHERT’s personnel in the fight against the coronavirus disease’ Also, they are to monitor the BHERT in the performance of their tasks.
Thus, much is expected from Alfonso Lista’s 20 village chieftains and the men and women of the town’s BHERTs in the implementation of key programs of the health department in coordination with the DILG. Corollary, the DILG issued memorandum circular 2020-018. It is intended to enjoin all LGUs to effectively intensify information education campaign (IEC) against COVID-19 disease and implement programs, projects and services that will promote the health and well-being of each Filipino.
‘For Mayor Alipio not to worry a lot and have sleepless nights as a result of the mounting COVID-19 disease cases in the Philippines and possible occurrence in Alfonso Lista, the municipal government should extend all-out support to the BHERT and other-related agencies and institutions in their daunting task to curb the incidence of the disease in the town. Likewise, sectoral support is highly called for in the information drive.
More so, with the insufficient number of medical facilities, manpower and logistics in Alfonso Lista. The 25-bed Potia District Hospital has only four doctors and an ambulance.
A test kit, priced at Php 1,320 in Metro Manila or the National Capital Region, is not available here. The infra-red thermostat is practically a collector’s item, if there’s one, in this town of nearly 33,000 residents.
Given this scenario, Alfonso Lista health personnel and barangay council officials can’t afford to seat back, relax and rejoice. COVID-19 disease is fast spreading in the Philippines and several countries around the world.
There is simply no place for complacency among Alfonso Lista’s officialdom on this lingering problem. A councilor of this town, in an interview with the ZigZag Weekly, shockingly said: “Wala yang coronavirus na yan. Huwag mong pansinin yan” (That coronavirus is nothing. Don’t mind it at all.”) Indeed, a scary thought for someone who is supposed to be knowledgeable of the public health care program’s importance and is updated by tidbits of television news programs.
To date, municipal health officer Dr. Laurice Guillen earlier said that she even visited the house of an individual under suspicion of having symptoms of the COVID-19 disease.
Latest reports indicate that four overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) of Alfonso Lista are being monitored in the town. They came from Hong Kong.
COVID-19 statistics are still grim. There are 105,586 cases worldwide, as of March 12 in 102 countries. In the Philippines, the DOH reported two deaths, three individuals in critical conditions and 45 cases under monitoring (for the 14-day quarantine period), for the same day.
Municipal Health Office personnel are tight-lipped on information regarding persons under investigation (PUIs) and it only compounds the problem on obtaining a true picture of the health situation in Alfonso Lista. Ironically, it is an unhealthy attitude.
Overwhelmed by a strong interest and attention given by the participants, it didn’t take long for the punong barangays to pour in their all-out backing for the BHERT program, and which prompted to draw the praises of many for the conduct of this noteworthy undertaking.
Much had changed in the Association of Barangay Captains (ABC) since its inception some years back. New convictions had been seen. Commitment to transform the people’s lives. ABC president and Councilor Billy Gonsadan is moving heaven and earth to protect and save lives from the frightening COVID-19 disease.
“What happens now? We have to act and face the problem squarely,” Punong Barangay Estelito Agus of San Jose quipped.
The last thing any of the populace wants is to retrain and retool the BHERTs and not provide their needs at this juncture of time. It is surely something remote from reality.
The dynamics of how the BHERTs came to be is an engaging story. The actions to be taken by the BHERTs in the coming days, weeks and months is an unfolding story.
Nurses Sheesham Avecilla, Michael Vincent Garcia and Melissa Humiding gave insightful pointers on handling various situations related to the COVID-19 disease. They are affiliated with the DOH.
It is not difficult to realize that if the Alfonso Lista municipal government wants to attain its goal of containing this dreaded disease, it needs to make that first step. Give the much-needed provisions. The BHERTs’ men and women are sacrificing a lot and touching base with the Filipino masses that can’t afford to buy sanitizers, alcohol, soap and masks. Have it ever crossed one’s mind, what’s life if the BHERT’s men and women are not equipped with such supplies?
In a related development, the MDDRMO Lolina Garcia finally distributed flyers in the Philippine National Language “Tagalog”, a major shift from the original provincial government produced flyer written in English but hardly understood by the masses. **By Anthony A. Araos
