IBA, Zambales — The completion of Covid-19 vaccination among residents will be the priority of the provincial government, even as it pursues renewed peace and order efforts under the new normal.

This was the message of Governor Hermogenes E. Ebdane Jr. during the joint meeting of the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC), Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council (PADAC), and Provincial Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (PTF-ELCAC) on June 25.

“Vaccine is the first priority (so that) we can go to a new normal,” Ebdane stressed. “If we would like to have a normal situation by the end of this year, we have to get vaccines ready.”

Still, the governor enjoined everyone to remain vigilant at all times and encouraged those who were not yet vaccinated to avail of the ready vaccines. 

He pointed out that having had vaccination “does not give us 100% assurance that we will not get infected.”

According to Gretelyn Enriquez of the Provincial Health Office (PHO), a total of 38,116 doses of Covid-19 vaccines were already utilized in the province as of June 24.

 She also reported on the fast utilization of Covid-19 vaccines in the province.

Ebdane, meanwhile, revealed a plan to reactivate the President Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Hospital (PRMMH) as the general hospital to admit non-Covid patients because of the occurrence of other illnesses especially during the rainy season.

He said that a separate area at the PRMMH will be reserved to treat Covid-19 patients.

In the same meeting, 1LT Jefferson V. Tungpalan of the 3rd Mechanized Infantry Battalion of the Armed Forces of the Philippines presented an updates on terrorism, insurgency, and ending local communist armed conflict.

On the other hand, Provincial Director PCOL Romano V. Cardiño of Zambales Police Provincial Office (ZPPO) and Agent Merry Lyn Antonio of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) reported on criminality and illegals drugs, respectively.

Provincial Director Armi V. Bactad of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) presented results of the Municipal Anti-Drug Abuse Council (MADAC) Audit of the 13 municipalities made on June 10.

She said the recently-conducted assessment showed that the councils of San Antonio and San Marcelino showed an “ideal level of functionality”, while the remaining 11 LGUs showed “progressive functionality”.

For her part, Provincial Director Melanie Grace Romero of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) highlighted the performance updates, specifically the completed programs and ways forward under the Poverty Reduction, Livelihood and Employment Cluster (PRLEC) of the 12 Clusters of Executive Order (EO) 70.  

Officials also recommended to strengthen information dissemination on the use of V.I.S.I.T.A app and guidelines for the reopening of the local tourism industry, as Zambales resumed accepting tourists. — By Paulin Johanne Reyes, Aljon Bautista and Ma. Garelyn Pangilinan