TUBOD, Lanao del Norte (PIA) – Members of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) of Lanao del Norte discussed in a meeting updates on measures implemented to curtail the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Actions that need to be executed in response to the COVID-19 crisis in the province were also tackled during the meeting.
It was presided by Sittie Aminah Quibranza-Dimaporo, the Provincial Administrator and the Incident Management Team (IMT) Deputy Responsible Officer, on behalf of Provincial Governor Imelda ‘Angging’ Quibranza-Dimaporo.
She said the Provincial Chief Executive is requesting for the realignment of some of the Provincial Fund that have not been used to address the COVID-19 crisis.
The Provincial Government, through the Bayanihan Grant appropriated by the national government to the local government units, has carefully and diligently utilized the grant to purchase Rapid Test Kits as well as prepare and construct a Laboratory Testing Center Old Kapatagan Provincial Hospital.
Rapid Test Kits are considered an essential tool in the first line of defense as returning Locally Stranded Individuals (LSIs) and Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) will be subjected to the said test at the Provincial Health Office before they will be quarantined, either in their barangay, municipality or at the MCC Grandstand.
After 7 to 14 days before they will be released to the community, they will undergo the same test to ensure that they are free from COVID-19.
Those tested positive on the rapid test will be immediately isolated and a swab will be taken for the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) confirmatory test.
Provincial Director Bruce A. Colao of Department of Interior and Local Government Provincial Office expressed his appreciation to the efforts of the Provincial Government in creating a Laboratory Testing Center that would soon provide fast test result and convenience not only to the person subjected to the test but also the Provincial and Municipal Governments.
The members of the council unanimously agreed to realign some budgets of the 5% Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (LDRRMF) for 2020, as well as the 5% Unexpended LDRRMF of 2019 for COVID-19 related response.
“The success of being able to contain (COVID-19) so far would not have been made possible if it were not of the partnership of all concerned agencies,” the Provincial Administrator said.
She also expressed appreciation to President Rodrigo Roa Duterte for the unwavering support extended to the Provincial Government of Lanao del Norte. (PIO-LDN)
