We visited Barangay Talandang in Tugbok district last Sunday, February 10. We went there to visit a family property that we have developed since 10 years ago.
But before we could take a look-see on the property we ended up entertaining several visitors mostly mothers of young girls ages between 9 to 15. They were there in our house to inquire if we have knowledge when their teen girls will be given their second dose of the anti-cervical cancer vaccine.
They told us they know we work in a local newspaper. So they said they were hoping that we have information on the program of the City Health Department vaccinating for free girls in the different barangays of the city who are entering the age of puberty.
According to the mothers they are seriously concerned on what could possibly happen to their daughters since the vaccine is to be administered in two doses. They told us they were worried because the second dose was scheduled sometime in November 2018. The first one was injected late May last year.
During the schedule of the second dose administration many parents brought their teen daughters at the barangay health center. The mothers said that they have to ask their young girls to be absent from class since the vaccination schedule was on a class day.
Unfortunately, however, the mothers and their daughters waited for half of the day only to receive a message advising them that the team from the CHO whose members were tasked to administer the anti-cervical cancer vaccine could not come.
The reason given, according to the mothers, the team had to be deviated to an assignment in Tugbok proper as there was a reported outbreak of measles in the area during that particular week.
They told us that there was nothing they could do. They agreed that the measles outbreak is seen to be more urgent as far as health authority response is concerned.
But they felt it is about time to air their complaint. The schedule of the second vaccine administration was in the month of October last year. Until now, two months into the year 2019, the City Health Office has not yet communicated to the barangay health center when it is scheduling the administration of the second dose.
We tried to calm them down as we explain that we can only help them up to a certain level. That is, the most that we can do is to bring their concern to the attention of the CHO headed by our good friend Dr. Josephine Villafuerte.
Doctor Jo, did you know of this failed schedule of administering the second dose of the anti-cervical cancer vaccine? If you do when is the next dose to be given to the Talandang teen girls? Is the Talandang case the only one?
We are hoping your office could immediately communicate with the workers at the barangay health center the schedule of the second vaccine administration. This will surely assuage their fear that the non-administration of the second dose would have a negative impact on their young daughter’s health.
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Today is the official start of campaigning for candidates to national positions like senators and congressmen.
But one party-list group did not hide its wanton disregard of the law setting the start of the campaign schedule. As early as Thursday last week this partylist group virtually made a “planting rice” strategy in putting up its campaign posters and other vote getting materials.
And even during the 2016 elections where it first gained accreditation from the Commission on Elections as a legitimate party-list political group it already showed its “epalist” tendencies. In Davao City and elsewhere in the country the party-list’s tarpaulins are all over. All bear the family name of the person representing the group in Congress.
We have observed that there seems no letup in the hanging of tarps by the said party-list group. It is as if since 2016 it was a continuing election season for this political organization. So conspicuous are its campaign materials we were almost led to believe its current representative in Congress was aiming for a Senate seat.
However, after the deadline of the filing of certificate of candidacy the representation did not. Is there reason to rejoice? Many say there is, but there are also those who say “Sayang.”
