TUBOD, LANAO DEL NORTE --  The Provincial Government of Lanao Del Norte, through the Provincial Health Office (PHO) - Environmental and Health Cluster together with the Local Government Unit (LGU) and the Rural Health Unit (RHU) of Tubod awarded Barangay Patudan of this municipality as ZOD (Zero Open defecation) barangay.

Barangay Patudan is the second barangay in Tubod that was declared as a ZOD barangay this year.

Through the leadership of barangay chairperson Richel Pepito Sabal and the help of the RHU, LGU, and the PHO, people of Patudan now have access to sanitary toilets and will no longer defecate in the open, in fields, and waterways where children will experience frequent bouts of diarrhea, have worm infections and grow up stunted and undernourished.

The Department of Health, through the National Sustainable Sanitation Plan (NSSP), has set a target that by 2022, all barangays that are practicing open defecation shall be declared ZOD status. 

Governor Imelda 'Angging' Quibranza-Dimaporo is one with the DOH and PHO in their goal of helping all barangays achieve ZOD.

"The goal of having ZOD status in all barangays, especially in the remote areas, can be achieved if we put all our efforts together through ordinances, project implementation, performance monitoring, and aggressive goal setting. I am appealing to all Barangay leaders to put their attention into developing a holistic approach to a cleaner, healthy and sustainable environment," the Governor said. (PIO-LDN)