PGLU Keeps Guards Up, Addresses CoViD-19 Operation Needs Promptly

To further prop up the CoViD-19 operations of the Province of La Union and gain lead over the virus, the Provincial Core Team Against CoViD-19 (PCTAC) convened today, April 12, 2021 through video conferencing.
Gov. Francisco Emmanuel “Pacoy” R. Ortega III ordered the immediate provision of support to health care workers, hospitals, Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), La Union Police Provincial Office, and other development partners. He ordered that enough PPEs, food, medicines and all other support are provided to them.
Gov. Pacoy also mandated the immediate revival of the Home for Frontliners and shuttle services for medical health workers in the province. In addition, he checked the current updates in terms of the delivery of food packs to concerned local government units.
To ensure that these orders will be properly executed, Gov. Pacoy also tasked the Local Finance Committee, Bids and Awards Committee and the Office of the Provincial Administrator to facilitate procurement of needs identified subject to usual accounting processes.
Provincial Health Officer Dr. Eduardo Posadas reported the current situation of CoViD-19 in the province and also discussed the expanded testing of Kaprobinsiaan wherein out of 99,105 tested, 92,507 yielded negative results; 4,438 tested positive; and 2,160 are waiting for results as of April 11, 2021. Some cases were recorded outside La Union.
Assistant PDRRMO Alvin Cruz presented the Prevention, Detection, Isolation, Treatment and Reintegration for the Province’s Operation Listo Framework.
Update on the vaccination program of the province showed that 8,450 out of 14,160 or 59.68% of Group A1 were vaccinated. 1,519 out of 6,145 or 24.72% already received their second dose of SINOVAC.
Updates on Ordinances, Executive Orders, Advisories and other policy issuances were also reported by Provincial Planning and Development Coordinator Michaela Louise Delfinado and Provincial Legal Officer Atty. Dominique Jose Puzon. To ensure unified protocols, Gov. Pacoy reiterated the need of PCTAC to always remain aligned to National Policies.
“Let’s get our acts together. We need to move faster in order to provide prompt and quality service to the public,” Gov. Pacoy reminded.

SP Resolution Mandates Telephone, Internet Providers to Improve Services, Establish Service Hotline

Giving importance to digital networks and online services this time of pandemic, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of La Union approved Resolution No. 645-2021 enjoining telephone companies and internet providers in the Province of La Union to improve their quality-of-service delivery and to responsively engage in customer care and support by establishing service hotlines to facilitate speedy action on complaints from subscribers during the deliberation in the committee meeting of the on April 12, 2021.
Board Member Gerard G. Ostrea said that the use of the internet is something critical to the economic activity and to the everyday lives of the people in the province. Constituents can still shop, communicate, study and work while complying with the minimum health protocols with the use of technology.
BM Ostrea also mentioned that with the use of the internet, it enables our constituents to receive and share vital information about CoViD-19, adding the 5th State of the Nation Address of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte ordering all telecommunication companies to improve their services in the next five months which is until December of 2020.
He also revealed that there are numerous complaints from La Union customers on the poor quality of internet services provided by these telephone companies and internet providers as well as very slow and inefficient customer service. Thus, efficiency and productivity of work including the quality of education are being compromised.
With the ever-growing number of subscribers and the demand for internet throughout the province, the resolution will address the clamor for more quality and efficient internet service.

LU Gov, Mayors in Constant Coordination Amid COVID-19 Surge

The 21 local chief executives in the Province of La Union are in strengthened coordination with each other amid the rise of cases of COVID-19 noted in the province recently.

Gov. Francisco Emmanuel “Pacoy” R. Ortega III has met with the mayors of the 20 component Local Government Units (LGUs), through a virtual meeting on April 7, 2021, to discuss updates and status of disease surveillance and control in the community levels.

PGLU Extends Relief Assistance to LGUs amid COVID-19 Surge

𝗛𝗘𝗟𝗣 𝗜𝗦 𝗢𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗪𝗔𝗬. The Provincial Government of La Union prepares on April 7, 2021 relief packs to be turned over to component Local Government Units (LGUs) affected by the surge of COVID-19 cases recently. To date, the PGLU has already given out 1,437 relief packs, 615 of which were delivered to San Gabriel on April 3; 200 packs to Bacnotan, 121 packs to Santo Tomas, and 501 packs to Luna delivered on April 6. Said LGUs recorded increase in COVID-19 cases as of late, with some barangays identified as critical zones hence, localized Enhanced Community Quarantine protocols were imposed.

Isolation sa La Union Patuloy Na Pinapaigting

Bilang tugon sa pangangilangan ng karagdagang isolation facilities para sa mga nagpositibo sa CoViD-19, itinayo ng Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office ang limang inflatable tents na may kasamang aircon, cot beds at modular tents sa mga bayan ng La Union na may matataas na naitalang apektado ng virus.

Binuo ang isang inflatable tent sa Bayan ng Luna noong Abril 4; dalawang tents sa Tubao noong Abril 5; at dalawang tents sa San Gabriel noong Abril 6. Ang bawat tent at makakapag-isolate ng walong tao.

Sa report ng mga CoViD-19 cases noong Abril 6, 2021, mayroong 90 active cases sa Luna, 80 sa Tubao, at 80 din sa San Gabriel. Ang pangangailangan ng karagdagang Isolation Facilities ay naitalang isa sa mga kailangang tulong ng mga munisipalidad mula sa kanilang needs assessment.

Inaasahang magkakaroon din ng katulad na pasilidad sa iba pang bayan na nangangailangan nito sa mga susunod na araw. Patuloy ang pagsiguro ng Pamahalaang Panlalawigan ng La Union na natutugunan ang mga agarang pangangailangan ng mga component local government units nito sa laban kontra CoViD-19.

PGLU Supports Locked Down Areas, Distributes Food Packs

As the Provincial Government of La Union (PGLU) continues to provide assistance to local government units (LGUs) under localized lockdown, it turned over 501 food packs, 501 pcs of face shields and 50 boxes of surgical facemasks to the Municipality of Luna on April 7, 2021 to aid in their CoViD-19 operations.

Food packs were also turned over to other municipalities on April 4, 2021 including Bacnotan 200 food packs, Santo Tomas 121 food packs, and San Gabriel 615 food packs.

PGLU Conducts Seminar on Ease of Doing Business, CMCI to LGUs

The Provincial Government of La Union (PGLU) conducted a seminar on Ease of Doing Business and orientation on the Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index (CMCI) to 20 Local Government Units (LGUs) of La Union. The Seminar was done via video conference on April 6, 2021.
Attendees were the Business Processing and Licensing Officers and Local Economic and Investment Promotions Officers of La Union.
Department of Trade and Industry La Union Provincial Director Merlie D. Membrere discussed the Republic Act No. 9485 otherwise known as the Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007 which is aimed to improve efficiency of government services by reducing bureaucratic red tape, preventing graft and corruption. She also reiterated the importance of Efficient Government Service through ease of doing business by having three steps or less than in the renewal or registration of businesses and strict compliance to the Citizen’s Charter.
The CMCI Recommendations for 2021 was discussed by Kenneth G. Bayani Director for Research and Extension Office, Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University. The recommendations aim to boost the LGUs’ commitment in strengthening their performance in the CMCI. This seminar is included in the plans of PGLU in support of its component LGUs for them to deliver all requirements and improve their CMCI ranking. The Province of La Union ranked 1st in Region 1 in the year 2020.
The seminar was facilitated by the Local Economic Enterprise and Investment Promotions Unit of PGLU.

PGLU Enables Contact Tracers Through Refresher Course

Due to the rising CoViD-19 cases in the province, the Provincial Government of La Union through the Information and Communications Technology Unit (ICTU) and the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO) conducted a Virtual Orientation on Contact Tracing Processing and Refresher Course of the NAPANAM Contact Tracing System Module on April 04-06, 2021 through video conferencing.
Ms. Karen Carmi C. Malig of the PDDRMO presented the guidelines for Contact Tracers in outlining the Linelist of close contacts of a positive patient.
Also, Ms. Maria Elena C. Espiritu and Ms. Therosha I. Ballesteros of the ICTU, presented the roles and responsibilities of registered Focal Person and Contact Tracer end-users in the NAPANAM Contact Tracing System. A demonstration on how to use the NAPANAM Contact Tracing Module was conducted by the ICTU after all the presentations.
The NAPANAM Contact Tracing System is the centralized CoViD-19 Contact Tracing application utilized by the Province of La Union to track the movement of individuals within the province.