DR. QUIÑON VERY QUALIFIED TO BE A FULL-FLEDGED PROV’L HEALTH OFFICER

WHEN Iloilo Provincial Health Office (PHO) chief Dr. Patricia Grace Trabado retired from government service on October 2020, Dr. Maria Socorro Colmenares-Quiñon took over the office in an acting capacity.

These past four months, Dr. Quiñon proved she is very much up to the task. performance Doc, particularly in the management of COVID-19 cases in Iloilo province.

Madamo gid sang nagadayaw sa ginapakita nga ni She never misses a day reminding the Ilonggos to follow the minimum public health standards. And she is very focused and hands-on.

provincial capitol Dr. Quiñon report “Nagabilib gid ang mga empleyado sang kay

governor COVID-19 situation, bangod alerto ini sia kada maghatag sa gobernador. Ano pa kada

explain,” according to our bubuwit. magpamangkot ang angut sa madasig sini nga

Dr. Quiñon is hardworking, competent and trustworthy. It would be wise masabat kag ma- for Gov. Toto to finally make her the full-fledged chief of the PHO. Say mo, Vice Gov. Tingting? THERE’S a proposed bill that allows local government units (LGUs) to buy COVID-19 vaccines for their constituents. When LGUs with the financial means buy their vaccines, it follows that the national government would have more vaccines for the LGUs which are not as financially able.

The inclusion of provisions to allocate vaccines to the less-able neighboring towns of the LGUs which get vaccines would be much better, too.

There can also be additional safeguards expressly providing that the World Health Organization standard on vaccination prioritization will be followed for the less-able neighboring towns, plus the inclusion of the sister city arrangements some LGUs have to further address the equitable access concerns.

The reality on the ground is that neighboring cities and towns help each other because it is in their natural interest as neighbors to do so. One LGU is not safe from COVID-19 if its neighboring LGU is not, so the natural and logical course of action would be to help each other.

Community health is a cross-border mutual interest.