TACLOBAN CITY, May 4 (PIA) -- The Region 8 COVID-19 Task Force acted promptly on the appeal for help from Tarangnan, Samar Mayor Arnel Tan as raised by the Crisis Communications Cluster led by the Philippine Information Agency, during its May 1 meeting.
The concensus of the Task Force is to give utmost priority to the concerns of the beleaguered municipality which the Mayor aired during the PIA Panindugan virtual Kapihan with PIA and friends in the morning of May 1.
Among the concerns the mayor raised as reported to the body by PIA head Olive Tiu is the need for water, food, medicines and milk.
The mayor appealed for the donations to be in kind not cash as procurement is difficult nowadays at the LGU. Besides, “many businessmen do not accept money from Tarangnan already.”
With the entire town under lockdown, the LGU is helping its constituents tide their daily subsistence by giving relief goods. Already, it has given its constituents, one sack of rice and other relief goods while the provincial government has already given 12 kilos of rice per family. The LGU fears that it will have of shortness of fund if the situation continues to prevail in the LGU.
There are also problems on the delivery of goods due to boarder control. Delivery trucks owners no longer enter the municipality. They only deliver at the boarders and from there, the LGU picks up the goods.
Another concern is the shortage of health workers as many of the local health workers are in quarantine.
OCD’s Mr. Rey Gozon, RTF chair, said he will call on the help of other government agencies in the spirit of whole-of-nation approach. He said the Task Force will request for the needs assessment report of Tarangnan so that the proper intervention will be provided.
DOH 8 Regional Director Minerva Molon will send ASAP jerry cans for the people of Tarangnan. She will also make some instructions on the deployment of more health workers to Tarangnan.
NEDA Director Meylene Rosales said she will call on the members of the Economy Cluster led by NEDA to help Tarangnan.
The Governance Cluster led by DILG through RD Darwin Bibar will also look into the concerns of the municipality and assess the same.
PBGen. Bernabe Balba of the Law and Order Cluster will look into the border points concerns of the LGU.
To recall, Tarangnan is the municipality with the most number of confirmed positive COVID-19 cases in Eastern Visayas. It is a fourth class municipality situated on the western coast of Samar Island, to the south-east of Gandara and to the north of Catbalogan.
Tarangnan has a 10-bed capacity Tarangnan Community Hospital catering to primary health care services. Currently, it is now used as the Isolation Facility for COVID-19 positive patients. (opt/PIA-8)
Source: Philippines Information Agency (pia.gov.ph)
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