Deretsahan
Soon a drug-free Asingan?
By Bebot Villar
THE last time I checked, umaabot na sa 80 katao ang nagkasakit ng tigdas o measles sa Pangasinan mula noong January 1. I was told that 26 out of 80 are mostly children, and still confined at Pangasinan Provincial Hospital (PPH) in San Carlos City.
With this situation, we should be alarmed. First, nakamamatay ang tigdas pag di agad naasikaso. Second, nakakahawa ang tigdas. And third, medyo mabilis ang pagtaas ng bilang ng mga nagkakatigdas ngayon.
The whole year last year, 117 cases of measles were recorded. Pero sa loob lamang ng nakalipas na tatlong linggo, 80 cases of measles reported at sigurado ako habang binabasa n’yo itong aking column ay may karagdagan pang bagong pasyente.
Bakit humantong sa ganito ang sitwasyon? Measles is preventable that’s why there are vaccines for measles. And it’s free sa mga health centers at government hospitals.
Marami pa ring mga irresponsible parents na dini-deadma lang ang mga alert ng mga health officials para sa immunization ng kanilang mga anak. Alam kong nakasanayan na ng marami na saka lang kikilos kung dumaranas na ng problemang ngunit kailangan ng pagpapahalagan ang mga panawagan ng ating pamahalaan. The life of our family is at stake here. It is our responsibility as parents to protect our children and keep them healthy.
Maging maagap tayo. Sa unang bugso pa lang ng problema, um-action agad tayo. At higit sa lahat, mag-cooperate po tayo sa ating mga local officials! Lately, I was told na nag-ha-house-to-house na sa mga barangay ang mga health workers to check who among the children still need vaccination. I hope that our health workers will also advise the parents that `prevention is always better than cure.’
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Here is another proof that our beloved province is still drug-infested.
Asingan Mayor Heidi Ganigon-Chua recently received a report from her chief of police, Chief Inspector Garie Noel Pascua, that illegal drug problem in the area is already disturbing! Kaya hindi talaga ako mapaniwala sa sinasabi ng PDEA na halos wala nang droga sa Pangasinan!
Based on the report, there are more or less 14 drug pushers and 60 users. What’s worse, of the 60, some are barangay officials and employees, at karamihan di umano ay mga kabataan! Totoo ba ito???
It is no longer surprising to get reports na most suspected pushers are our Muslim brothers! Matagal na pong itinuturo ang mga kapatid nating Muslim bilang supplier ng droga dito sa ating probinsya. I still remember challenging them before to correct this impression that they are the drug pushers in our province, pero no one from their group took the challenge – to do something to prove the report wrong. Sad to say, walang ganung nangyari.
Kaya siguro mukhang determined ang Asingan police chief to eradicate illegal drug trading. He already recommended to oust our Muslim brothers from the municipality? Careful, hepe, what you want is not an easy thing to do. But I will salute you kung magagawa mo because you can save lives! (A piece of advice lang for Chief Pascua, better coordinate with PDEA Region 1 para maganda ang resulta ng operations nyo).
Nakakahiya talaga if the illegal drug trading sa Asingan worsens. Imagine, dito nanggaling ang dating Presidente Fidel V. Ramos, former Senator Leticia R. Shahani at Board Member Ranjit Shahani!
Hopefully, all these initiatives will succeed in due time at matutupad ni hepe ang pinapangarap nya para sa Asingan. Good luck C/Insp. Pascua!
P.S. When, Dr. Jose Rizal said the “youth is the hope of our nation,” maybe during his time it was possible kasi since the illegal drugs became part of the Pinoy system, parang hopeless na. Marami na sa kabataan today ay “bangag” sa illegal drugs! So if you are aware that your child is into drugs better send him/her to a rehabilitation center or risk the whole family being affected! Remember, once addicted to drugs, sira ng lahat ang diskarte sa buhay dahil ang utak ang unang apektado.
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