OUR APOLOGIES to the reading public for the yellow-tinted paper used for this week’s issue.
There was no other available newsprint last month due to the huge demand during the past election campaign.
We have no choice but to use the limited quantity for one or two issues until the newsprint we normally use gets delivered in the next few weeks.
Please bear with us this inconvenience. Anyway, it would not diminish the quality of the news and opinion printed on it.
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Recently, barangay P. Teston and Western Poblacion, both in the town of Baras, were awarded a cash incentive of P10,000 and a plaque of recognition by Governor Joseph Cua for reaching 100% fully vaccinated coverage of all eligible population.
The grant of the cash incentive and plaque to push the COVID-19 vaccination effort was approved during the April 22, 2022 meeting of the Provincial Health Board.
At that time, the number of new cases had increased by 300% form the previous one to four.
While 93% of the target population received the first dose, only 77% of those who got the first dose received the second dose and only 19% of the fully vaccinated received the booster dose.
To arrest the declining coverage, the Provincial Health Office recommended the grant of the P10,000 cash incentive to barangays that reach the 100% vaccination coverage by May 31, 2022.
This was done to encourage and motivate barangays to lead the vaccination drive in their respective areas and hopefully overcome resistance from the target population because of religious belief, the voluntary nature of the vaccination and the fact that some barangay officials themselves refused to get vaccinated.
Perhaps the health board should have offered the incentive right at the start of the year, to give time for the communication to reach the barangays, with the five-month period probably enough for them to achieve the target.
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The administration of Mayor Samuel Laynes made the right move in prohibiting the use of the covered courts at Plaza Rizal as a parking area.
Since super typhoon Rolly tore off sections of the roof covering the basketball courts and contact sports were prohibited during the pandemic surge, the past administration converted it into a parking lot for the municipal government’s bus and heavy equipment, as well as the SUVs of key officials.
Now that the sports-minded youth are now playing at the court, perhaps the LGU could repaint the two courts pending the eventual repair of the roof.
According to sources, Mayor Laynes has already secured funding for the rehabilitation project but the procurement process will take some time to finish before work begins.
In the meantime, let the courts be used for its original purpose.
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The long queues at the COMELEC office in Virac these days shows there is great interest among the people in the upcoming barangay and SK elections this December 2022.
Any move to further postpone the polls would be met with public dismay and anger.
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THE WHOLE TRUTH. At school, a boy was told by a classmate that most adults are hiding at least one dark secret, and that this makes it very easy to blackmail them by saying, “I know the whole truth”.
The boy decides to go home and try it out. He goes home, and as he is greeted by his mother he says, “I know the whole truth.”
His mother quickly hands him $20 and says, “Just don’t tell your father.”
Quite pleased, the boy waits for his father to get home from work, and greets him with, “I know the whole truth.”
The father promptly hands him $40 and says, “Please don’t say a word to your mother.”
Very pleased, the boy is on his way to school the next day, when he sees the mailman at his front door. The boy greets him by saying, “I know the whole truth.”
The mailman drops the mail, opens his arms, and says, “Then come give your father a big hug.”