Baguio City – Amidst the challenges that continue to beset its people, Mountain Province continues to shine as it bagged many awards on various categories from the Department of Health (DOH) – CAR during the 2018 Regional Gawad Kalusugan Harmonized Awards Ceremony held at the Baguio Country Club last November 16, 2018.
The Provincial Local Government Unit (PLGU) of Mountain Province is again the recipient of the 2018 Red Orchid Award for its sustained advocacy and policies on the promotion of a 100% Tobacco-free environment. In addition, the province received a plaque of recognition for sustaining a Malaria Free Province Status (CY 2010 – 2018).
Mountain Province also holds a 10-year No Human Rabies record, thereby, easily qualifying it as one of the region’s three Top Provinces with No Human Rabies Cases for Five Years. Mountain Province is followed by Ifugao (8 years) and Kalinga (6 years).
It could be recalled that Mountain Province was also a recipient of the Red Orchid, Malaria Free Province and No Human Rabies Cases for Five Years awards in 2017.
Municipal LGUs, hospitals, offices and health organizations in the province were also recipients of major, as well as special awards, in recognition of their commendable performance in the delivery of health services, prevention and mitigation of diseases, sustaining the implementations of Family Planning Programs, advocacy on reproductive health and the sustainability of certain health statuses.
Major awards garnered by the province include: A. LEPROSY FREE INITIATIVES – (3rd Place, Bauko); B. RED ORCHID AWARDS – Municipal LGUs of Bauko and Tadian, Municipal Police Stations of Bauko, Besao and Sabangan, Municipal Fire Stations of Bauko and Besao, District Hospitals of Besao, Bontoc and Paracelis and for the Mountain Province Provincial Capitol; C. BEST PERFORMING MUNICIPALITIES ON INTEGRATED VECTOR MANAGEMENT (DENGUE) – Municipality of Besao (1st Place) and the municipalities of Bauko, Bontoc and Sabangan (Consolation Prizes); C. PURPLE RIBBON AWARD – Municipality of Bauko (3rd Place).
In addition to the major awards are special awards, viz.: A. TOP PERFORMING LGU based on the LGU Health Scorecard (Bontoc LGU); B. BEST PERFORMING NEWBORN SCREENING FACILITIES (Luis Hora Memorial Regional Hospital, Bauko; Besao District Hospital; Anastacia Rafael-Sagel Memorial Hospital, Natonin; and St. Theodore’s Hospital, Sagada); C. MOST FUNCTIONAL SERVICE DELIVERY NETWORKS (SDNs): Sabangan, Bauko, Tadian, Barlig & Tubo-Abra (SABATABATU) Interlocal Health Zone – 1ST Place, Chico River Service Delivery Network – 3rd Place and Mt. Province Barangay Health Worker Federation – 4th Place. A consolation prize was also given to Parana Service Delivery Network.
The Provincial Health Office (PHO) of Mountain Province was also recognized for its steadfast Support and Outstanding Commitment to the Implementation of the Family Planning Program and the RPRH Law.
DOH-CAR also gave due recognition to retired performing personnel. Ms. Dolores B. Te-elan, a retired PHO staff, was also given a plaque in recognition of her valuable efforts as Family Planning coordinator.
Checks of varying amounts were also received by the awardees. For the Most Functional SDNs, SABATABATU Interlocal Health Zone received a check of P 250, 000.00 pesos, Chico River SDN – P 150, 000.00, MP Barangay Health Worker Federation – P 100, 000.00 and PARANA – P 70, 000.00. For the Red Orchid awardees, LGUs got P 40, 000.00 each while offices and hospitals got P 15, 000.00 each. Moreover, Bauko LGU received a check of P 25, 000.00 for being a Purple Ribbon Awardee and another P 25, 000.00-check for its Leprosy Free Initiative. The Best Performing Municipalities on Integrated Vector Management also received checks of P 10, 000.00 each. These, on top of the plaques and certificates of recognition which were given to all awardees. Tablet-gadgets were also given as additional awards to all Red Orchid awardees.
Governor Bonifacio C. Lacwasan, Jr., together with Tadian Mayor Anthony D. Wooden, Provincial Health Officer (PHO) II Nenita D. Lizardo, PHO I Penelope A. Domogo, Luis Hora Regional Memorial Hospital Medical Center Chief Eduardo B. Calpito, the Chief of Hospitals and other health personnel of the province, received the awards.
“It is an honor to have been invited in the awards ceremony. The awards received by the various health providers and those by other stakeholders are but manifestations of their excellent performance and their steadfast advocacy on healthy living.
I commend and congratulate the leadership of the DOH and their counterparts in the provincial level down to the barangays. May these awards further inspire us to continue doing what is best for our people,” Gov. Lacwasan said.
“We give back the honor to our people for their efforts. These awards but affirmed the existence of a well-placed mechanism or network among government and non-government organizations which is responsible for the efficient and effective management of the provisions of health resources; thus, resulting to the evident improvement of the province’s health status as a whole,” Wooden said.
According to Provincial Health Officer II Nenita D. Lizardo, the awards are the fruits of the concerted efforts of all health workers and their partners in the delivery of health services to the people.
“We at the Provincial Health Office are very happy but are at the same time humbled down by these awards. We pray that our colleagues and partners in the municipalities and barangays, especially our Municipal Health Offices, Rural Health Units and Barangay Health Workers, will continue to serve to the best of their abilities for a healthier if not healthiest Mountain Province. We also thank our local officials and other benefactors for their continuous support to all our endeavors,” Lizardo said.
“We could not have been recipients of the accolades without the support of every personnel in the health facilities. We share all the awards to the headship down to the rank and file,” Dr. Calpito beamed.
Meanwhile, plaques of recognition were awarded to Mountain Province, together with the municipalities of Barlig, Bauko, Bontoc, Sabangan and Sagada; certificates of recognition were again given to Mountain Province, to the municipalities of Tadian, Natonin, Sabangan, Paracelis and Besao, to PRC-Mountain Province, Red Cross-MP Chapter and to LHMRH. The said awards were in recognition of the various organizations’ invaluable support and contribution to the overall provision of services during the Typhoon Ompong and Rosita disasters. ** PR
