One Week of UnliSerbisyo

By Mayor Belen Fernandez

TO protect our learners, I suspended classes in all levels, mula pre-elementary hanggang high school from August 25 to 26 (kasama na ang mga work in government offices from August 23 to 24) because hindi pa rin nagsu-subside ang baha particularly sa mga low-lying areas.

Together with Vice Mayor Brian Kua, OIC City Engineer and other officials, sumakay kami ng mga bangka sa Bacayao Sur at Norte in order to see for ourselves the actual situation  and to determine the cause of the flooding  there.

Dagupan City is a natural basin of all water from the upland noong una pa man. At kung magsasalubong ang high tide at onrushing water from upstream of the Pantal River, hindi maiiwasan ang pagbaha. Kaya nag-exit na ang bagyong Florita, mataas pa rin ang tubig sa Sinocalan River sa Sta. Barbara at nasa critical level pa rin ang Marusay River in Calasiao. These flow to our city before exiting to the Lingayen Gulf, kaya we have more flooding in our city.

We also saw the damage sa dike sa Bacayao Sur na siyang cause ng flooding in the area and Engr. Corpuz, recommended na dapat palitan ng sheet file.

Nakakataba nga ng puso na marinig sa mga pamilya na nabaha na natutuwa silang makita  ang kanilang mayor na bumibisita sa kanila at tinitignan ang kanilang situation, at naghahatid ng tulong.

I am fully aware of the difficulties suffered by our communities dahil sa baha. So I have not stopped at finding the right solution, short term and long term, para matugunan ang ganitong problema.

I approached DPWH regional office for technical support and Director Ronnel Tan himself promised to conduct a survey of flooded areas before submitting possible solutions. He also

promised na starting next year, isasama na sa kanilang annual budget ang maintenance para sa dalawang perennially flooded road sections ng ating siyudad.

But, we know this is not enough. Nakipag-ugnayan na tayo kay Congressman Toff de Venecia at palagi tayong kumakatok sa puso ng ating mga national government officials for the long-term solution to our problem. Kakailanganin natin ng tulong ng lahat para matugunan ang ganitong problema.

On the part of the city government, we continue clearing our drainage canals using our Vactron machine and in cleaning our rivers still teeming with water lily, sa tulong ng ating mga barangay officials.  Patuloy pa rin ang dredging ng heavily silted Calmay River na karugtong ng Pantal River with the help of DPWH.

Nais kong ipadama sa ating mga kabaleyan, na kaisa ninyo ako sa inyong paghihirap. Let us all continue to be strong, steadfast and unrelenting in our pursuit of happiness. Magtulongan tayo.

By the way, in our rounds of Dagupan, together with staff of CHO under Dr. Opal Rivera, we are distributing Doxycycline capsules to ensure that those cannot avoid wading in flood waters are safe from leptospirosis. Mayroon ding drinking water disinfectant to avoid diarrhea.

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Sa gitna ng pagbaha sa ating lungsod due mainly to high tide, dumating ang brand new mobile health clinic na galing sa Department of Health-Center for Health Development sa pamamagitan ni Regional Director Paula Paz Sydiongco para sa ating CHO.

Nagpasalamat ako sa DOH-CHD 1 because with the mobile health clinic, we can accelerate the implementation of the Universal Health na naglalayong mabigyan ng equal access to health ang lahat ng mga mamamayan, lalo na yong mga mahihirap.

Sa pamamagitan ng mobile health clinic, our people need not go to the City Health Office anymore para mabigyan ng mga health services. Ang mobile clinic will also give free x-ray, hemoglobin, urinalysis at ibang mga laboratory examination, para kung anuman ang resulta, ito ay ire-refer sa CHO.

I-ikot sa mga barangay ang  ating mobile health clinic, kasama ang ating Dental Health Bus para magsagawa ng Medical-Dental Caravan. Salamat sa DOH-CHD-1! Salamat kay Regional Director Sydiongco!

Pagkatapos ng turnover ceremony, I met with Dr. Opal Rivera para pag-usapan ang paglulunsad ng UnliSerbisyo Health-Dental Caravan to reach all people even in far-flung places needing medical and dental help.

Nauna rito, I reconstituted the Local Health Board by virtue of my Executive Order No, 22  para pag-usapan ang mga hakbang na gagawin para sa growing health concerns ng mga residents ng Dagupan.

Those in the meeting were Vice Mayor Bryan Kua and representatives of the CHO, Population Office, City Nutrition Office, Region 1 Medical Center, Pangasinan Medical Center, Pangasinan Dental Society, Philippine Pediatric Society Pangasinan Chapter, PHDP, St. Joseph Drug, at Dr. Ashok Vasandani.

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