Amas, Kidapawan City- Determined to be prepared for the worst, Governor Nancy A. Catamco convened today, April 6, 2020, the Provincial Development Council (PDC) at the Capitol Rooftop, Amas, Kidapawan City.
In the said meeting, the PDC recommended the preparation of a 6-month contingency plan to include health, food security and relief and rehabilitation concerns of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council or PDRRMC.
The mayors expressed concern over their financial capability to support their respective local government unit and would need the augmentation of the province specially in the face of a surging COVID 19 cases.
Several lgus affected by the series of earthquake last year are still on the rehabilitation phase.
In her presentation of the Contingency Plan for the Management of COVID-19, Integrated Provincial Health Officer Dr. Eva C. Rabaya said that the Provincial Government of Cotabato through task force COVID-19 has established an Information, Education and Communication Campaign Cluster that will focus on the dissemination of validated, proper and rightful information in support to COVID-19 operation.
The said cluster is also responsible in intensifying information, education and communication campaign in the different barangays through the use of tri-media and regular recorida to avoid the spread of fake news that will cause panic in the community.
Rabaya also reported to the council that as of April 6, the 1st confirmed positive of COVID-19 was already recorded in the province Cotabato. The said patient is from Midsayap, 45 year-old male with history of travel to Matina Gallera in Davao City last March 6, 2020.
According to Rabaya the said patient tested positive for COVID-19 after the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) laboratory test conducted last March 24, 2020.
The said patient will once again undergo PCR laboratory test to check if he is still infected with the virus and will be admitted at the Cotabato Provincial Hospital Isolation Center, Barangay Amas, Kidapawan City.
Meanwhile, the provincial government already done with contact tracing and multiple hospital personnel and co-family members exposed to the said patient are now under quarantine.
NFA urged to issue certificate to LGUs
On the other hand, Cotabato Provincial National Food Authority Manager Teresa V. Herrera was also invited in the PDC the meeting to clarify concerns of Municipal Mayors specially regarding the availability or inavailability of NFA to supply rice to the different LGUs of the province.
According to Herrera as of now the NFA cannot cater all the request of municipal mayors since there are only 3,000 sacks of rice available in their warehouse ready for distribution.
“As of now we cannot give your entire request because we only have 3,000 sacks available in our warehouse, but we also have 540,000 bags of palay ready for milling starting tomorrow so hopefully in the coming days the NFA could supply the needed rice requested by our LGUs,” Herrera said.
PDC Chair Governor Catamco said that instead of waiting for the NFA to release rice for the LGUs to be used in relief operations, NFA should just issue concerned lgus certification of NFA’s inability to provide the required rice supply so that local chief executives will have the authority to purchase commercial rice from local millers/retailers.
She also added that in the face of this health crisis many Cotabateños are waiting for their ration especially those families severely affected by last year’s series of earthquakes and this general community quarantine due to COVID-19 pandemic.
The governor thanked the members for their support and cooperation and commended the mayors for doing their level best in securing the safety of their respective constituency. //pgo-idcd//
