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Antique seeks state of calamity over rising dengue cases

By Annabel Consuelo Petinglay

July 13, 2022, 4:25 pm

<p><strong>STATE OF CALAMITY</strong>. Members of Antique’s Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council hold a meeting at the Provincial Capitol in San Jose de Buenavista on July 12, 2022. Antique Provincial Board Member Pio Jessielito Sumande said on Wednesday (July 13, 2022) that he would be sponsoring the resolution for the province to be declared under a state of calamity due to the high number of dengue cases. <em>(Photo courtesy of PIO Antique)</em></p>

STATE OF CALAMITY. Members of Antique’s Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council hold a meeting at the Provincial Capitol in San Jose de Buenavista on July 12, 2022. Antique Provincial Board Member Pio Jessielito Sumande said on Wednesday (July 13, 2022) that he would be sponsoring the resolution for the province to be declared under a state of calamity due to the high number of dengue cases. (Photo courtesy of PIO Antique)

SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique – The Antique Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) has sought the declaration of a state of calamity due to the increasing number of dengue cases.

Antique Provincial Board Member Pio Jessielito Sumande said in an interview on Wednesday that during their PDRRMC meeting on July 12, Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Ric Noel Naciongayo, requested that the province be declared under a state of calamity, considering a total of 1,405 cases of dengue with five deaths as of July 2.

The figure is 527 percent higher than last year’s 224 patients, including two deaths, for the same period.

“There are also two municipalities, which are the towns of Sibalom and Anini-y, that had been declared already to be under the state of calamity because of the dengue cases,” said Sumande, who will be sponsoring the resolution for the provincial declaration during their first regular session on July 14.

The town of Sibalom was placed under a state of calamity on June 3, and Anini-y on July 5.

“The municipality of San Jose de Buenavista, which tops the list out of the total 18 towns in the province to have dengue (cases), is also planning to have its declaration of the state of calamity in the coming days,”
Sumande said.

Under the National DRRM Council Memorandum Order 60, series of 2019, a province may be declared under a state of calamity by the provincial board when two or more municipalities are affected by a disaster and upon the recommendation of the PDRRM Council.

Under the same memorandum, the local government unit, upon the declaration of a state of calamity, could use its Quick Response Fund “for relief and recovery programs in order that the situation and living conditions of people in communities or areas stricken by calamities, epidemics, or complex emergencies may be normalized as quickly as possible.”

As of July 2, all 18 municipalities in the province have reported dengue cases but the top five are San Jose de Buenavista with 320; Sibalom, 259, plus one death; Hamtic, 172, plus two deaths; Bugasong, 136, plus one death; and Anini-y, 96.

The other fatality due to the mosquito-borne disease was recorded in Patnongon. (PNA)

 

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