Philippine Information Agency Central Visayas

CORTES, Bohol, Oct. 30 (PIA) -- Fully-vaccinated travelers bound for Bohol now only need to show their vaccination card, a government-issued ID card, and their S-pass application.  This after Gov. Arthur Yap has issued Executive Order No. 52-B series of 2021, which amended preceding orders contained in Executive Orders No. 52 and 52-A reinstituting the use of vaccination cards and streamlining travel requirements for vaccinated individuals entering Bohol. Earlier, Executive Order No. 52 lifted the negative RT-PCR Test Result requirement for inbound fully vaccinated individuals, but are required to show their vaccination certificate instead. These certificates generated from the government website vaxcert.doh.gov.ph and duly authenticated and validated by the Department of Health (DOH) Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) have been deemed as a solution to the proliferation of fake travel documents that could endanger the health and security of the destination local government units (LGUs). E.O. N

Health and local government authorities continue their call for vaccination among adults, especially those living with persons with comorbidities and children who could not yet be vaccinated, to sustain the encouraging results in Bohol’s fight against the virus. (PIA Bohol) CORTES, Bohol, Oct. 30 (PIA) -- In the last two months, COVID-19 related deaths in Bohol decreased by 51% as Bohol continues to seek out vaccine sources to inoculate its unvaccinated population to establish herd immunity as soon as possible. From an all-time high of 177 deaths in in September, the number of deaths dropped to 91 in October. With 177 deaths in September, Bohol had a daily average of almost six persons who die of COVID-19.  Vaccination accomplishment was at 13.06% by Sept. 25, according to data provided by the Emergency Operations Center of the Bohol Inter Agency Task Force (BIATF) on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.      By October, with vaccination increasing to 17.24% and another 17%

Pres. Rodrigo Duterte (2nd from left) leading the simultaneous inauguration of the Seven Seaport Development Project in Bohol on Oct. 29. (RAHC/PIA7 Bohol) TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Oct. 29 (PIA) -- Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte led the simultaneous inauguration of Seven Seaport Development Projects (SSDP) in Bohol on Oct. 29 along with Department of Transportation (DOTr) Sec. Arthur Tugade and Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) General Manager Jay Santiago. The SSDP is part of the Duterte administration's billion-peso worth of major seaport investments in Bohol province from 2018 until the present, said Bohol Gov. Arthur Yap. Most of the projects under the SSDP involve government infrastructure that were damaged by the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that hit Bohol on Oct. 29, 2013. The inauguration, according to Pres. Duterte, will establish the island-province as a catalyst for economic recovery and growth, while fulfilling mobility demands amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The SSDP projects are par

The Negros Oriental IATF underscores the effectiveness and efficacy of vaccines against COVID-19 as these will help prevent severe symptoms. (Photo courtesy of Provincial Public Information Office) DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental, Oct. 27 (PIA) -- The vaccines developed against COVID-19 are proven to prevent severe symptoms versus taking herbal supplements alone. Provincial Inter-Agency Task Force-Emerging Infectious Disease (PIATF-EID) Incident Ground Commander and Assistant Provincial Health Officer Dr. Liland Estacion emphasized this during her virtual press conference on Oct. 26.  Estacion gave her opinion as a health professional when she was asked for her view on individuals who refuse to take the vaccines but rely on herbal supplements as protection against COVID-19. She lamented that there are people who choose  herbal supplements over the vaccines that are recommended by the World Health Organization and the Center for Disease Control which are guaranteed to avert severe compl

A resident in Dumaguete City getting vaccinated against COVID-19. (Contributed photo) DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental, Oct. 27 (PIA) -- The Dumaguete City Health Office (CHO) has already administered 80,580 doses of COVID-19 vaccines to 46,039 eligible residents or 46% of the target population as of Oct. 25. CHO is utilizing several brands of COVID-19 vaccines such as Sinovac, Astrazeneca, Moderna, Sinopharm, Pfizer, and Janssen jabs from the Department of Health and some donations from private entities. City Health Officer Dr. Maria Sarah Talla said 740 individuals received their COVID-19 jabs in the two vaccination sites at Pulantubig Gym and Robinson Place including those who returned to get their second doses on Oct. 25. Of the 46,039 eligible residents vaccinated in the city, 2,685 are medical frontliners or (A1); 7,772 senior citizens (A2); 8,642 persons with comorbidities (A3); 13,499 frontline personnel (A4); 13,388 indigents (A5); and 53 from the rest of the adult population. 

Dumaguete City jail inmates receiving their jab against COVID-19. (Contributed photo) DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental, Oct. 27 (PIA) -- City Health Officer Dr. Maria Sarah Talla has reported that all persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) and jail officers in the city have been vaccinated against COVID-19. This is to further ensure herd immunity among PDLs within the facilities of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) in the city. The local Task Force against COVID-19 confirmed that there are no active COVID-19 cases in the male and female dormitories of the BJMP due to strict compliance of health protocols by both PDLs and jail officers. Dumaguete City Jail Male Dorm Warden J/Supt. Jonairy Sitchon said that to prevent transmission of COVID-19 inside the facilities, even the changing of guards every 14 days is heavily regulated. There are currently three groups of jail officers: the outgoing officers will relieve those in the support group (stationed outside the facility) who w

  CEBU CITY, Cebu, Oct. 22 (PIA) -- The municipality of Cordova is one of the towns that benefited from the Duterte Legacy through the Build, Build, Build program. Cordova Mayor Mary Therese Sitoy-Cho, in her message during the Duterte Legacy Caravan held Oct. 21, thanked Pres. Rodrigo Duterte for all the projects that have been implemented in Cordova. Sitoy enumerated the big-ticket projects they benefited, such as the 3rd bridge Cordova-Cebu Link Expressway (CCLEX).  “Second biggest project are the coastal roads amounting to billions already,” added Sitoy. The mayor also cited other projects like the free tuition fee in Cordova Public College, the Cordova Municipal Hall building construction, and the construction of the drug rehabilitation center and the evacuation center worth P30M. Cordova is one of the towns in Cebu province that benefited from several projects under the Duterte administration. Sitoy said Cordova is getting more progressive through the support of Pres. Duterte. (H

  CEBU CITY, Cebu, Oct. 24 (PIA) -- The Duterte Legacy Caravan in Cebu dubbed as “Barangayanihan Caravan Towards National Recovery” highlighted the various projects and programs implemented in Cebu under the Duterte administration that has brought about a positive change in the lives of its beneficiaries.  Cebu province benefited from several projects from the Duterte administration under the "Build, Build, Build" program such as bridges, diversion roads, evacuation centers, municipal buildings, public markets, road concreting, farm to market roads,  among others. The local government units (LGUs) which hosted the caravan also highlighted the impact of the anti-illegal drugs campaign that improved the peace and order situation in their localities. Others programs cited during the said caravan include the free college tuition fee, the Malasakit program, and livelihood, scholarship, and financial assistance from government agencies such as the Technical Education Skills and Dev

CEBU CITY, Cebu, Oct. 25 (PIA) -- The Technical Education Skills Development and Authority (TESDA-7) distributed starter toolkits to its selected scholars during the fourth and fifth days of the Duterte Legacy Barangayanihan Caravan Cebu Leg in Alegria on Oct. 24 and Medellin and Daanbantayan on Oct. 25.  TESDA-7 Assistant Regional Director and Provincial Director Floro Ringca led the distribution of starter toolkits to TESDA scholars who finished the skills training of its scholarship programs. The starter toolkits include the following: crow bar, claw hammer, hacksaw with blade, pull-push rule, shovel, spirit level bar, steel float plastering towel, and steel square.  In the municipality of Medellin, Michael Verdeflor, an overseas filipino worker (OFW) and a Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) scholar enrolled in Masonry NC II, received the said toolkits while Roberto Melendrez, a TESDA scholar from the town of Daanbantayan, was also awarded with the same assistance. I

Some 18 COVID-19 patients from Dumaguete City are confined at the Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital. (PIA Negros Oriental) DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental, Oct. 25 (PIA) -- Dumaguete City Health Officer Dr. Maria Sarah Talla has reported that 53 or 18% of the 283 active COVID-19 cases are admitted in five hospitals in the city as of Oct. 24. Some 16 patients are confined at Silliman University Medical Center, 18 at Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital, eight at ACE Doctors, five at Holy Child Hospital, and six at Negros Polymedic Hospital. The total active COVID-19 cases reported on Oct. 24 are currently in 27 of the 30 component barangays in the city, said Talla.  The remaining 230 active COVID-19 cases are handled and monitored by the City Health Office, including those who are outside the city. Of the 283 active COVID-19 cases, only 116 were confirmed to have been vaccinated against COVID-19 and will be less likely to experience severe symptoms requiring hospitalization. Meanwhile,

Juan Medel (far left), people's organization president of Lepantohanong Hugpong sa Kalambuan, receives the symbolic check worth P4,460.480 from DOLE-7 Regional Director Salome Siaton (far right) as livelihood assistance during the Duterte Legacy Barangayanihan Caravan held at the Municipal Plaza of Alegria on Oct. 24, 2021. (PIA-7) CEBU CITY, Cebu, Oct. 24 (PIA) -- The Department of Labor and Employment in Region 7 (DOLE-7) turned over some livelihood assistance to Lepantohanong Hugpong sa Kalambuan (LEHUK), a farmer’s association in Brgy. Lepanto, Alegria, Cebu. The turn-over ceremony was one of the highlights of the Duterte Legacy Barangayanihan Caravan Cebu Leg held at the Municipal Plaza of Alegria on Oct. 24. DOLE-7 Regional Director Salome Siaton presented the check amounting to P4,460,480 to Juan Medel, the people’s organization president of LEHUK who represented the group during the event. As part of DOLE’s livelihood development assistance program, the financial aid will b

Ringo Gestopa (center), a DOLE-7 TUPAD beneficiary, receives the Certificate of Appreciation from PCOO Asec. for Global Media and Public Affairs JV Arcena (right) together with San Fernando Vice Mayor Ricci Regen Reluya (left) during the Duterte Legacy Caravan held at the San Fernando Sports Complex in San Fernando on Oct.23. (PIA7) CEBU CITY, Cebu, Oct. 23 (PIA) -- A displaced worker and a resident of San Fernando, Cebu was one of the beneficiaries of the Department of Labor and Employment Region7 (DOLE-7) who shared his testimony during the third day of the Duterte Legacy Barangayanihan Caravan Cebu Leg held at the San Fernando Sports Complex in the Municipality of San Fernando on Oct. 23. DOLE, through its Tulong sa Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program, was able to help the said worker who lost his job last year due to the pandemic. Ringo Gestopa, 34, from from Brgy. Balud, San Fernando was an on-call contractual worker of Taehiyo Cement Phils. Inc

Bohol vaccination teams aim to dispense 25,000 vaccines per day in the next two weeks as some 200,000 doses of Pfizer vaccine arrived in Bohol this week. (PIA Bohol) TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Oct. 21 (PIA) -- With the vaccine supply backlog and the recent arrival of the 200,000 doses of Pfizer vaccines on Oct. 16, Bohol is pushing for 25,000 a day vaccine accomplishment, according to the spokesperson of the Bohol Inter Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (BIATF-EID). Speaking during the recent meeting of the BIATF Strategic Communications Cluster, BIATF Spokesperson Dr. Cesar Tomas Lopez said with the arrival of the 35,490 vials which is equivalent to 212,940 vaccine doses, Bohol can already accelerate its vaccination rollout. In his previous statements, Lopez said Bohol has over 50 vaccination sites, even before the mobile vaccine teams were organized to bring the inoculations to the far-flung areas. During the start of the vaccine rollout, an average of

LARENA, Siquijor, Oct. 21 (PIA) -- Integrated Provincial Health Officer-In-Charge Dr. George Walthrode Opay has urged Siqujodnons to strictly comply, implement, and adhere to the protocols set by the government even if the province of Siquijor has been downgraded to Alert Level 3 amid the decreasing cases of COVID-19.  “For me, it’s a good thing,  kay murag sa pagkakarun medyo kampante ko kay medyo ni os-os gyud ang atuang kaso  (as of now I feel a bit satisfied because our COVID-19 cases have decreased) but again it shouldn’t make us feel complacent,” Opay said during the Provincial COVID-19 OpCen meeting on Oct. 20. He said the downtrend in admission and zero mortality as of Oct. 20, which he hopes will continue, should not make the public complacent. With the province seeing a surge in COVID-19 cases in the past few weeks, Siquijodnons could not afford a rapid increase in cases.  The implementation of the Alert Levels System, which has been piloted in the National Capital Region (NC