THE Covid-19 centralized, coordinated and harmonized approach of Bacolod City is now being replicated by Pagadian and Davao cities.
Retired Major General Mel Feliciano and his team, who were in Bacolod City for two months to help implement interventions during the surge of Covid-19 cases in September, have arrived in Davao City on Monday, November 23, 2020, upon the request of Mayor Sara Duterte, just days after also helping Pagadian City establish and operationalize its own Emergency Operations Center (EOC).
Feliciano shared the template and best practices developed by the Bacolod City EOC-Task Force (EOC-TF) to both cities.
Since the creation of the Bacolod EOC-TF by virtue of Executive Order No. 59 on September 3, a total of 15 LGUs in Negros Occidental, Capiz and Aklan have conducted benchmarking visits and observed the sessions at the EOC and learned from the systems and procedures of various Covid-19 clusters.
The benchmarking visits have allowed the visiting LGUs to pick up best practices that they may use in their own Covid-19 response.
Dealing with Covid is situational and frontliners learn better ways of dealing with challenges of the pandemic as they address them head-on.
The LGUs that have visited the Bacolod City EOC are the municipalities of Isabela, Murcia, Moises Padilla, La Castellana, Hinigaran, Binalbagan, Manapla and E. B. Magalona; and the cities of Bago, Himamaylan, Silay, Victorias, and San Carlos, and the provinces of Capiz and Aklan.
The Bacolod City EOC Manual, which contains all of its systems, processes and best practices, has been utilized by Feliciano’s team as they established the data-driven, evidence-based Pagadian City EOC.
The full support of the Bacolod EOC-TF has made it possible for Feliciano’s team to make the Pagadian City EOC operational in 15 days.
Similarly, Feliciano’s team will once again use the same Bacolod City EOC Manual in Davao City as it gears for a more effective Covid-19 approach.
Mayor Evelio Leonardia said he is happy that Bacolod is sharing its best practices with other LGUs because he believes that it is a good way to improve Covid-19 responses of LGUs.
He said Bacolod has benefited by learning from the experience of Cebu and other cities that have experienced outbreaks while developing better ways as we tackle other emerging problems that come with the pandemic. (PR)