BARANGAY Macasandig was hailed as the "Zero Open Defecation Barangay" (ZOD) in the first-ever ZOD search launched by the City Health Office this year.
Macasandig chair Ernesto Edrote received the P20,000 cash prize, while Barangay 14 and Barangay 10 got P15,000 and P10,000 each as second and third placers, respectively.
City Health Officer Dr. Rachel Dilla said although the contest is only launched this year, the information campaign on the importance of zero open defecation had already started last year.
"We taught them the importance of sanitation, and the effect of defecating everywhere," she said.
Although only 10 barangays have participated in the search, Dilla said all 88 barangays of Cagayan de Oro have undergone the sanitation training.
She said the 10 villages were carefully evaluated.
They have also randomly selected certain households where they can check for each of their comfort rooms.
After Macasandig's win, Dilla said they will be again evaluated if they can qualify the regional awarding ceremony of the zero open defecation campaign.
"It is very important that as human beings, we defecate in a proper area and not just anywhere. Also, having a comfort room means less chances of getting diseases, because a fecal matter attracts flies and other pests that are possible vectors of diseases, such as diarrhea, typhoid fever, which are usually fecal oral diseases in nature," she said.
"The proper disposal of waste discharge of a human being should be taken seriously because it affects our health in general," Dilla added.
The Department of Health under the Philippine Approach to Total Sanitation program of the government states that a barangay is declared ZOD if none of the residents defecates in public areas anymore.