SUGBONGCOGON, Misamis Oriental (PIA)--With the recent surge of coronavirus disease (COVID)-19 cases and appearance of its highly contagious Delta variant in northern Mindanao, Sugbongcogon town now prepares its barangays and residents for the upcoming General Community Quarantine (GCQ) with Heightened Restrictions status in the province, which will take effect, August 1 to 15.
“From the very start of COVID, our municipality was one of those ‘lungsods’ in Misamis Oriental who are very strict in implementing health protocols up until now na naging GCQ tayo (now that we are in GCQ), ngayon patuloy po natin na ini-implement ito (we are still continuing its implementation) through prohibition of social gatherings, wearing of face masks, and social distancing,” said Subgongcogon Mayor Mildred Lagbas-Mondigo during the Network Briefing News with Communications Secretary Martin Andanar, July 30.
In line with the strict implementation of health safety protocols, Mondigo said they are working more closely with the Philippine National Police (PNP)-10, barangay councils, and other stakeholders in their community to ensure adherence among their people, the policing of check points for the mitigation of the spread of virus, and aid in the logistical requirements of locally stranded individuals (LSIs) and returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs).
To aid in the social and economical disruption brought by the pandemic, the Local Government of Sugbongcogon is focusing on assembling youth and women’s organizations with skills development training to utilize the national government's livelihood funding grants in response to the pandemic.
“Kini-create po natin 'yung mga tinutulungan po natin na mga association ng Sugbongcogon na makakuha ng fundings from our national agencies to start a livelihood program (We created an association for our assisted citizens in Sugbongcogon so they can acquire funding from our national agencies to start a livelihood program),” she shared.
As support for the government’s vaccination program, the municipality is working on countering misinformation especially against “fatalism” and their senior citizen’s “bahala na” (come what may) attitude by coordinating with national line agencies such as the Department of Health (DOH) on the spread of accurate information.
Mondigo further thanked the national government for guiding the local government in combating the deadly virus as well as the provincial government for the policies they created, which Sugbongcogon used as a guide for implementation of the enforcement of health protocols. (VBSP/PIA-10/Misamis Oriental)
