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Bacolod City Unveils PH's First Swab Sampling Mobile

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Bacolod City Unveils PH's First Swab Sampling Mobile PEOPLE EVENTS MDM PRODUCTs P12 SATURday | may 9, 2020 NegOcc, Bacolod Bacolod City unveils PH’s welcome ‘Balik Probinsya’ program first swab sampling mobile BACOLOD CITY – Top officials ardia said. of Negros Occidental and Ba- On Wednesday, President colod City have welcomed the Rodrigo Duterte signed Execu- “Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag- tive Order 114 to institution- asa” (BP2) program that seeks alize the BP2 program pushed to decongest Metro Manila or by Senator Christopher Law- the National Capital Region. rence “Bong” Go. Governor Eugenio Jose The BP2 initiative aims “to Lacson said on Thursday that ensure balanced regional de- such an initiative has long velopment and equitable dis- been proposed and he hopes tribution of wealth, resources, it will be carried out this time. and opportunities through “We will just have to wait policies and programs that for the guidelines. I hope this boost countryside develop- time it will push through. For ment and inclusive growth, Negros Occidental, there are provide adequate social ser- other industries that we need, vices, and promote full em- especially manufacturing,” ployment, industrialization, Lacson said. and improved quality of life in He said the province is rural areas.” “very fortunate” that it still EO 114 creates the BP2 has the sugar industry that has Council to ensure a whole- “survived” after the province of-government action on the was placed under enhanced implementation of the BP2 community quarantine due to program. COVID-19. The council is headed by “We have the business Executive Secretary Salvador process outsourcing (BPO) Medialdea, while Acting Soci- sector still working. I feel that oeconomic Planning Secretary maybe if Negros Occidental Karl Kendrick Chua serves as could open up a new industry vice-chair. through this ‘Balik Probinsya’, Members are the secre- it would be in the field of man- taries and other officials of at ufacturing,” Lacson added. least 20 concerned agencies. SWAB MOBILE. The City of Bacolod launched the first-ever biosafe swab sampling mobile in the country on Thursday (May 7, 2020). Meanwhile, Bacolod City The BP2 Council is tasked Designed by Bacolodnon engineer Joseph Saril, it is the first of the two units donated by private groups to the city government to ensure Mayor Evelio Leonardia also to formulate within 30 days the safety of health workers in the battle against coronavirus. CHAMBER VOLUNTEER FIRE BRIGADE expressed support for the BP2 the guidelines necessary to program as he underscored implement this order, includ- BACOLOD CITY – The city Bacolod Filipino-Chinese Jun- unit was used during the SARS put it to use here. I feel lucky the need for close coordina- ing the BP2 program frame- government here launched the ior Chamber of Commerce and outbreak to protect health to have the chance to help,” he tion between the concerned work and at the same time first-ever biosafe swab sam- Industry Inc., and Chamber workers from unnecessary ex- added. national agencies and the lo- provide overall direction in its pling mobile in the country as Volunteer Fire Brigade with posure during the specimen Loren Kara said she cal government units in ad- implementation. part of the local initiatives to businessmen Willy Au, Alfredo extraction. pushed for the project as she hering to health protocols The program framework ensure protection for health Barcelona, Alfonso Choa, and “A patient who wants to be was alarmed by the number of for those going back to their is divided into four key areas: workers in the battle against James Chua Romie Cortez. tested would likely go to the doctors and nurses in Metro home provinces. empowerment of local indus- COVID-19. It will be used by personnel hospital. This may expose the Manila who had succumbed to “We welcome (them). tries; food security and agri- Mayor Evelio Leonardia led of the City Health Office dur- patient to up to nine health COVID-19. There is no doubt about that. cultural productivity; social city officials during the unveil- ing contact tracing missions, workers, putting the medical “I hope the swab mobile That is their right, they belong welfare, health, and employ- ing rites on Thursday hosted by replacing ambulance vehicles staff’s health at risk. With this will give our health workers to Bacolod and they belong to ment; and development of in- his daughter Loren Kara, who as the means of transportation unit, we can limit the exposure the confidence that they are their respective cities,” Leon- frastructure. PNA initiated the project through a of the health teams. to only two health workers, safe as they go about their du- partnership with Bacolodnon The Bacolod-made swab who would be further protect- ties swabbing for samples,” engineer Joseph Saril. mobile, costing P1 million, was ed by the biosecurity measures she added. “The swab mobile will go designed by Saril, a mechani- put in place within the van,” She also said the 7th of to the people to prevent trans- cal and biomedical engineer Saril said. May, which is observed as the mission. Equally and probably with 20 years of experience in While the physical design Health Workers’ Day in the more important is the safety creating biosafe laboratories of the swab mobile may be Philippines, is an opportune of our health workers. We and facilities in the Asia-Pa- easily replicated, he stressed time to highlight the need to don’t want to see a spectacle cific, including those utilized the most important factor in keep health workers safe. that our health workers will be during the severe acute res- developing the unit is the bi- The second unit, which endangered. This is very safe,” piratory syndrome (SARS) and osafety measures. will be donated by the Bio- Leonardia said. H1N1 influenza outbreaks. This means that a series Power Group, will be launched The first of the two units Saril came home to Ba- of tests and final validation soon. designed by Saril, which was colod for good last year, and based on industry standards As of Thursday, Bacolod blessed and turned over at the the younger Leonardia met must be done before a unit is has 11 positive cases of COV- Bacolod Government Center, him in April while working on deemed safe for use, Saril said. ID-19, including the two sea- was donated by the Bacolod the development of sanitation “With all the experience I farers, who arrived in the city Filipino-Chinese Chamber of chambers for the city. had abroad for so many years, April 28. Of the number, three The Negros Occidental Capitol Building and Lagoon Park in Commerce and Industry Inc., He said a similar mobile it’s time to come home and have already died. PNA Bacolod City. PNA BACOLOD Ex-Pangasinan solon, family make face shields for frontliners DAGUPAN CITY – Former Pan- reached 15,000 and we are as cloth face masks, have gears,” she said. gasinan fourth district Repre- currently working on 5,000 been distributed by his son, Aside from the face sentative Gina de Venecia and more,” she said. Representative Christopher shields and masks, de Vene- her household are busy mak- She added that instead of de Venecia, to the hospitals cias also donated sacks of ing face shields for the front- just watching television, she and other frontliners, such rice to the local government liners in the province. decided to respond to the gov- as barangay officials, market units in their district and food In a radio interview Thurs- ernment’s call for Bayanihan vendors, and newsmen in the p a c k s t o f r o n t l i n e r s , a m o n g day, de Venecia said since the during the pandemic. f o u r t h d i s t r i c t o f P a n g a s i - others. Luzon-wide enhanced com- “I commend the govern- nan. The face masks and other munity quarantine (ECQ) was ment’s Bayanihan to Heal as “Based on studies, the relief goods were donated by imposed, she gathered her One Act. Surely, this is the COVID-19 is transmitted various non-governmental family to produce the protec- time to unite, no matter what through droplets so it is im- organizations, government FACE SHIELD DONATION. Frontliners in Manaoag town accept tive gear. political party you are, we portant to have face masks officials, and private indi- the donated face shields made by former Pangasinan fourth district “At first, we only targeted need to serve our fellowmen,” and shields, and even the mar- viduals through the office of Representative Gina de Venecia on May 4, 2020. Aside from the to make 10,000 face shields de Venecia said. ket vendors are exposed so we R e p r e s e n t a t i v e d e V e n e c i a . face shields, cloth face masks were also given to frontliners in the but now, we have already The face shields, as well also provided them protective PNA district. CHRISTOPHER DE VENECIA’S FACEBOOK PAGE .
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