ILOILO City – Another set of recognitions have been conferred to the Iloilo City government, through its City Health Office (CHO), for its invaluable contributions to advancing public health this year.
The citations were given by the Department of Health (DOH) in Western Visayas during its Regional Awarding of Partners and Stakeholders, and Local Health System Awards and Recognition on Nov. 7 and 8, 2024, respectively.
During the Regional Awarding of Partners and Stakeholders, the CHO and its cluster units were given a total of nine citations, specifically for the following:
* a fully functional Epidemiology and Surveillance and Health Statistics Unit
* unwavering support in the pursuit of providing Safe Blood for All and reaching at least 1% Blood Donation Rate performance indicator of the National Voluntary Blood Services Program
* highest Fully Immunized Child (FIC) 2023 coverage
* implementation of various activities in relation to Priority Area 7 (Violence and Injury Prevention Program)
* top-performing local government unit in the TB (Tuberculosis) Indicator: Treatment Coverage Rate for Calendar Year 2023
* successful implementation of the Drowning Prevention Project Phase II
* support and commitment to DOH – WV Center for Health Development Programs
* for having a 2.59% stunting rate based on the E-OPT (Electronic Operation Timbang) Plus Report 2023
* implementation of the Population, Health, and Environment (PHE) Project (Barangay Lanit, Jaro)
Iloilo City’s Mayor Jerry P. Treñas emphasized that the honors awarded to various city initiatives are testaments to the CHO’s dedication to public health and service to every Ilonggo.
“These achievements are a proud reflection of the loyalty, hard work, and commitment shown by the entire CHO team,” he stressed.
Meanwhile, during the Local Health System Awards and Recognition, Iloilo City received three more awards.
One is the Special Award on Governance (Highly Urbanized City category) for efficient and effective implementation of local initiatives to achieve health benchmarks.
Another is the Most Outstanding Local Government Unit (Highly Urbanized City category) for outstanding contributions to achieving better health outcomes and stronger local health systems.
Lastly, the metropolis was hailed as Local Government Unit with Good Practice in Health 2024, receiving total of P500,000 in grants.
Mayor Treñas also highlighted that these accolades showcase the city’s sustained efforts to enhance the health and wellness of its residents.
Last year, the CHO received several plaques of recognition for its efforts to promote excellent public health services and programs, further solidifying its reputation for excellence in the field.
On the other hand, Iloilo City’s Barangay Health Workers (BHW) Federation Inc. was hailed as the No. 3 Top-Performing BHW Federation in region 6 this year.
This, after monitoring and evaluation of performance-based incentives for barangay health workers BHW through the province/city BHW Federation by the DOH-WV.
The federation also received a P125,000 incentive.
The city mayor expressed his deepest gratitude to the city’s BHWs for being at the frontlines in providing health care and health education services to the Ilonggos.
In October, the Iloilo City government was adjudged and awarded as one of the five finalists for the 2024 Regional SubayBAYANI Awards by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
The city government was able to efficiently and effectively utilize DILG’s P10 million grant for the Swab Center as support for the expansion and upgrading of infrastructure for resilience, in line with the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023-2028.
The SubayBAYANI Awards Program recognizes the exemplary monitoring and evaluation practices and performance of LGUs through the SubayBAYAN Portal, DILG’s official platform for the physical and financial status related to project implementation.
“Under my administration, each department in Iloilo City Hall has strived for excellence, as evidenced by the city’s ongoing series of awards. These milestones, driven by the commitment and hard work of our dedicated public servants, show that we are unified in our goal to promote excellence, growth, and the welfare of our people,” Treñas added./PN
