Department of Health (DOH) Calabaron Regional Director, Dr. Eduardo C. Janairo leads in the awarding of outstanding barangays which have demonstrated best sanitation practices and exemplary contributions in meeting and sustaining the Philippine Sanitation Sector Roadmap targets and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on Water and Sanitation during the first ever two-day environmental health summit themed “Healthy and Sustainable Environment” held at a Makati City Hotel from Nov. 15 to 16. (Photo courtesy of DOH4A-MRCU)
CALAMBA CITY, Laguna – Dr. Eduardo C. Janairo, regional director of the Department of Health (DOH-4A) has called on sanitary engineers, sanitation officers and health inspectors to establish an effective health service delivery network in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon ) in collaboration with the regional health office.
“I call on all of you to work with the regional office to set up an effective service delivery network to ensure the preservation and conservation of our environment. We have to set up priorities in Calabarzon for health and environmental concerns especially at the local level,” Janairo said during the first ever regional environmental health summit held at the Makati City Hotel Thursday.
The regional health department in a weekend report said Janairo spearheaded the summit themed “Healthy and Sustainable Environment” held Nov. 15 to 16 .
The Summit was organized in a bid to establish an effective health service delivery network in collaboration with the regional health office to address the populace health environmental concerns.
Janairo focused talks on the trilogy of health, which includes concerns for the family, the health system and environment.
“Our main goal for this summit is to provide environmental CPR – conservation, protection and rehabilitation,” he said.
He said the region is also suffering from contamination from air, water and soil and residents are constantly exposed to these environmental threats.
“These hazards include lack of access to safe drinking-water, inadequate basic sanitation in the household and the community, indoor air pollution from cooking and heating using coal, inadequate solid waste disposal and air pollution from motor cars,” he said.
The regional environmental health unit also revealed that Calabarzon leads in the country’s overall lowest percentage rate of zero open defecation (ZOD) at 7 percent.
Despite the low ZOD rate, Janairo has urged to sustain safe, healthy and supportive environments for good health.
“The environment in which we live is a major determinant of our health and wellbeing. We depend on it for energy and the substances needed to sustain life,” he said.
According to the DOH4A media relations and communications unit, the DOH Memorandum No. 2015-0021 has set the standards for a barangay to be ZOD-certified using the yardsticks at the time of the assessment.
These are the use of a functional toilet; availability of soap and water at or near the toilet; proper disposal of babies’ and elderlies’ human wastes; no visible feces in the surroundings; and evidence of a barangay action plan to level up towards sustainable sanitation.
“Health will not be complete without our environment that is why we need to protect and provide sustainable environmental protection programs and we can do this with your cooperation support,” Janairo challenged the summiteers.
During the environmental health summit, the DOH Calabarzon regional office also presented the 2016-2017 Regional Winners of the National Search for Barangay with Best Sanitation Practices (NSBBSP).
The yearly awards are given as incentives for the Local Government Units (LGUs) especially the barangays with best sanitation practices.
The barangay winners were recognized for demonstrating exemplary contributions to meet and sustain the Philippine Sanitation Sector Roadmap targets as well as on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on Water and Sanitation.
The 2016 winners in Laguna were barangays Sampaloc in Pagsanjan; Bubucal in Sta. Maria and Bungkol in Magdalena and Pook in Rizal.
On the other hand, the 2017 regional winners are from barangays Balungay in Panukulan and Masalukot IV in Candelaria – both in Quezon province; and barangays Miguel in Mabitac and Cueva in Sta. Maria from Laguna province.
