DILG enjoins LGUs to back DOH’s children vax drive

By Joel E. Zurbano

THE Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Friday asked all local government units to fully support the Department of Health’s (DOH) campaign to vaccinate children against measles, rubella, and polio.

According to United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, around 67 million children worldwide missed out entirely or partially on routine immunization between 2019 and 2021 due to the health crisis brought about by COVID-19. The Philippines reportedly ranked second to the highest number of children with zero doses in East Asia and the Pacific region, and fourth in the world. From January 1 to March 18, 2023, the DOH has already recorded

225 cases of infection, a 369 percent increase from the same period last year. DILG Secretary Benjamin Abalos, Jr. tapped the LGUs in ensuring the successful implementation of “Chikiting Ligtas” campaign, to provide the DOH an inventory of households with children under five years old and determine barangays with the highest number of eligible children.

Local officials were also asked to conduct orientations, information sessions, and town hall meetings in coordination with the DOH Center for Health Development, barangays, and Sangguniang Kabataan.

All LGUs were instructed to advocate the benefits of routine immunization and encourage local government employees with eligible babies, newborns up to 59 months old, to avail of the vaccination.

“The DILG supports and recognizes the DOH in its campaign to break, interrupt, and prevent the transmission of measles, rubella, and polio in the country. Through the concerted efforts and action of our local governments, we can be sure that the children in our communities are immunized against diseases that can be prevented through vaccination,” Abalos said.

He also called on all stakeholders to join the government efforts to protect the children against preventable diseases.

“Vaccines are free, safe, and effective in keeping our kids fit and safe. By keeping them up to date with routine immunizations, we are giving the younger generation a bright and healthy future,” the DILG chief said.

MMDA: Single ticket system dry run successful despite some ‘birth pains’

THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said its dry run of the single ticketing system in five cities in the National Capital Region (NCR) was “successful despite some birth pains. “Successful po yung ating launch doon sa limang siyudad. Wala po tayong nakita o na-observe o na-report na major na pagkakamali, challenges, issues, complaints,” MMDA chairman Romando Artes told reporters.

Artes admitted however, that some adjustments still have to be done for a smoother implementation of the scheme.

held single ticketing device as some of them committed errors on the input aspect of the device.

Land Transportation Office (LTO) regional director Noreen San LuisLutey said only five cities, namely, San Juan, Parañaque, Muntinlupa, Valenzuela, and Quezon City, were involved in the dry run.

Initially, the MMDA announced that seven cities would join the pilot run of the single ticketing system.

“Today, we mourn the loss of a remarkable individual who leaves behind a legacy of dedication, selflessness, and service.

Let us remember Governor Padilla for his remarkable contributions and the positive change he brought to our province,” local folk leader John David said.

Padilla spent 29 years as representative of the Lone District of Nueva Vizcaya including six years as assemblyman in the Batasang Pambansa. He once served as deputy speaker and also as a minority leader.

In the 1970s, he served as mayor of the then-undivided Dupax and later as mayor of Dupax Del Norte when the municipality was divided into three, with Dupax Del Sur and Alfonso Castañeda as the two other towns.

As a congressman, he was among the principal authors of Republic Act 6655 which established and provided for Free Public Secondary Education in the Philippines and RA 6728 establishing the Private Education Student Financial Assistance Scholarship, the Educational Service Contracting Program for private schools and other programs.

Comelec unseats Legazpi City mayor

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc has affirmed the disqualification of Carmen Geraldine Rosal as a candidate for mayor of Legazpi City, Albay in the May 9, 2022 elections. She won as Legazpi City mayor in the last elections.

In a 17-page resolution, the sevenmember panel upheld the ruling of its 2nd Division dated Oct. 4, 2022, disqualifying Rosal for alleged violation of the Omnibus Election Code particularly on the provision banning the release, disbursement, or expenditure of public funds 45 days prior to election.

“Respondent is found to have given money to influence, induce, or corrupt the voters, as described in Section 68 (a) in relation to Section 261 (a) (1) of the Omnibus Election Code. Respondent is hereby disqualified from being a candidate for Mayor of Legazpi City, Albay for the 9 May 2022 National and Local Elections,” the ruling stated.

Defeated candidarte for councilor Joseph San Juan Armogila filed the disqualification suit against Rosal over her alleged participation in a two-day Tricycle Driver’s Cash Assistance Payout in the city on March 31, 2022.

According to the Comelec, Rosal did not deny that she was among those present during the activity.

It noted that a Facebook post about the activity thanked Rosal and referred to her as “Mayor Gie Rosal,” when she was not the incumbent mayor at the time, in an apparent reference to the position she was then running for.

QC schools adopt teaching changes

AMID the clamor of students and teachers, the Schools Division Office (SDO) of Quezon City has implemented changes in teaching modalities due to the extreme summer heat.

Following the order of the Department of Education endorsing modular distance learning in the event of natural disasters, power outages/interruptions, and other calamities, the SDO-QC has allowed various delivery modalities including shortened class periods in some public schools.

Mayor Joy Belmonte expressed full support to the initiative to protect the school children from extreme weather conditions.

“Our utmost priority will always be the welfare of our children. Since the summer heat is too much to bear, especially in classrooms, we welcome the implementation of blended, modular, or shortened class periods for public schools,” she said.

The memorandum provides that school heads are required to report their delivery mode weekly depending on the changing weather as reported by the weather bureau,

For the first week of May, out of 95 elementary schools, two have implemented print modular, 13 blended, and 10 shortened class periods.

ZERO CARBON CRUSADE MARCHES ON. Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte leads in the ribbon-cutting of a bazaar and exhibit at the SM North Annex, featuring small businesses and organizations that support e orts to attain sustainable environment as envisaged under the “Q.C Zero Carbon by 2050” campaign. Manny Palmero

“As in other new projects of the government, there are birth pains. There are adjustments that needed to be done,” he said.

Artes suggested conducting more training for enforcers in the use of hand-

Comelec foresees more transparent, enhanced 2025 polls

THE Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) proposed automated election system (AES) for the 2025 polls will adopt mechanisms meant to improve the transparency of the voting process in the country, Comelec chairman George Garcia said.

Under the Fully Automated System with Transparency Audit and Count (FASTrAC) platform, Garcia said voters would be allowed to verify their votes through ballot images on automated counting machines even as watchers and political camps would be allowed to take pictures of the election returns after transmission.

“Makikita ng botante ang balota na kanyang hinulog back and [front] yung mismong ballot image,” Garcia said in an interview on Dobol B TV.

For the visually impaired persons, Garcia said there would be an audio feature where the machine would read the votes cast by the voter.

Apart from this, Garcia said citizens’ arms and political groups would automatically receive a copy of the election returns—a mechanism which he said was non-existent in the automated election system

San Luis-Lutey said only limited payment channels were available during the dry run, but she expects this to increase in the coming days.

Out of the five cities that participated in the dry run, the LTO official said only San Juan was able to deploy a single ticketing system device.

Out of 63 secondary schools, two have implemented print modular, 26 blended, and eight shortened class periods.

The shortened class period is from 6 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. for the morning batch and 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. for the afternoon batch.

The choice of modality was determined after consultation with all stakeholders.

Rio N. Araja since it was implemented in 2010.

“Hindi na po tayo gagamit ng mismong transparency server na nagiging issue before yung sinasabi before na ‘meet me room.’ Ngayon po ang gusto natin ‘yung citizens arm, majority party, minority party…ay automatic na mapapadalhan ng result ng mismong galing sa presinto, sa makina mismo. Wala nang ibang dadaanan,” he said.

“So ‘yung mga entities na ‘yan ay pwedeng magkumparahan kung ano ba ang pinadala ng presinto na ito ay same na pinadala sa lahat,” he added.