Although the percentage of fully immunized children in Catanduanes is below 60% for 2025, immunization coverage remains high if the actual number of live births is taken into consideration.
This was stressed by regional and local health officials led by Department of Health (DOH) Regional Director Dr. Rosa Maria B. Rempillo during the press conference held last week by the Department of Health (DOH) Center for Health Development (CHD) Bicol at the Queen Maricel Inn in Virac.
It was explained that the DOH provided the target of 5,886 for the total eligible population of 0-12 months old children for 2025 but the actual total live births for 2024 came up to only 3,792 babies.
In implementing the National Immunization Program, local health authorities managed to fully vaccinate 3,464 children, for an accomplishment of 58.85% of the target Fully Immunized Children (FIC) but a much higher 91% of the actual number of babies born in 2024.
On the other hand, the number of Completely Immunized Children totaled 121 or 6.16 percent of the target, according to the report of Nurse IV Anita T. Chong of the Provincial Health Office.
STATUS OF NIP IMPLEMENTATION IN CATANDUANES, 2025
| Area | Projected Population | Fully Immunized
Children |
Projected Population minus FIC | Completely Immunized
Children |
||
| Total | % | Total | % | |||
| CATANDUANES | 5,886 | 3,462 | 58.82 | 1,965 | 121 | 6.1 |
| Bagamanoc | 244 | 136 | 55.74 | 94 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Baras | 266 | 170 | 63.91 | 65 | 7 | 10.7 |
| Bato | 434 | 270 | 62.21 | 131 | 4 | 3.0 |
| Caramoran | 833 | 447 | 53.66 | 299 | 21 | 7.0 |
| Gigmoto | 180 | 114 | 63.33 | 70 | 8 | 11.4 |
| Pandan | 453 | 325 | 71.74 | 108 | 3 | 2.7 |
| Panganiban | 174 | 132 | 75.84 | 62 | 1 | 1.6 |
| San Andres | 844 | 449 | 53.20 | 347 | 50 | 14.4 |
| San Miguel | 321 | 198 | 61.68 | 124 | 5 | 4.0 |
| Viga | 503 | 279 | 55.47 | 143 | 3 | 2.1 |
| Virac | 1,634 | 942 | 57.65 | 522 | 19 | 3.6 |
Only the town of Panganiban, with 75.86%, achieved the FIC target of 75% accomplishment, with Pandan with 71.74%, also the only LGU with a “high” accomplishment.
Based on the 2025 report, five towns were classified as “critical” in terms of immunization accomplishment: Bagamanoc (55.74%), Virac (57.65%), Viga (55.47%), Caramoran (53.66%), and San Andres (53.2%).
NIP Regional Program Manager Maria Kristine Therese Nolial explained that the program seeks to provide protection to the eligible population against vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, mumps, German measles, tetanus, diptheria, pneumonia, pertussis, poliomyelitis, and hepatitis B.
She advised mothers to follow the routine immunization schedule for their babies after their birth, at 1-1/2 months, 2-1/2 months, 3-1/2 months, 9 months and one year.
A Fully Immunized Child (FIC) has received a dose of BCG at birth or before reaching 22 months, 3 doses of Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV), 3 doses of Pentavalent Vaccine, and two doses of Measles Containing Vaccine (MCV).
Nine to 14-year-old females are also given Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine while senior citizens are vaccinated against influenza and pneumonia, with Grade 1 and Grade 7 pupils administered vaccines against measles, typhoid and diptheria.
A supplemental immunization activity against measeles-rubella is also underway along with routine Vitamin A supplementation this year, with 95 percent of 28,039 children aged 6-59 months as the target.
The PHO, however, cited issues and concerns in the vaccination program implementation, including the lack of OPV vaccines, regular calibration of temperature monitoring devices in the cold chain equipment used to store vaccines, late submission of accomplishment reports, and underreporting due to families either moving to other barangays or migrating to other towns or provinces.
On water sanitation and hygiene, Dir. Rempillo called on the population to ensure they drink clean water and observe proper food preparation especially during the hot summer.
She recalled that several years ago, Catanduanes recorded outbreaks of food-borne and water-borne diseases due to lack of access to safe water.
DOH Engr. Lea Angela Castillo advised families to drink only safe or treated water, boil water for at least three minutes if not sure about its cleanliness, use clean and covered water containers, wash hands with soap and water before each meal and after using the toilet, and maintain cleanliness in the home.
While 96 percent of Catanduanes households have access to basic safe water supply, only 51 percent have access to safely managed drinking water, PHO’s Jose Mari Amaranto said.
Only 78 percent of households safely managed sanitation services while 64 percent have satisfactory solid waste management and 66 percent have complete sanitation facilities, he added.
On the Zero Open Defecation (ZOD) program, he reported that of the 315 barangays in Catanduanes, 169 or 54 percent have been declared as ZOD barangays.
Only two towns – Bagamanoc and Panganiban – have been declared as ZOD municipalities by the DOH, with Caramoran having the unwanted distinction of having none of its 27 barangays certified as ZOD.
The municipality of Viga was supposed to be certified as ZOD Municipality last year but lost its chance when super typhoon Uwan hit the town.
STATUS OF ZOD IMPLEMENTATION, CATANDANES 2025
| Area | No. of
Barangays |
No. of Certified
ZOD Barangays |
| BAGAMANOC | 18 | 18 |
| BARAS | 29 | 24 |
| BATO | 27 | 6 |
| CARAMORAN | 27 | 0 |
| GIGMOTO | 9 | 1 |
| PANDAN | 26 | 5 |
| PANGANIBAN | 23 | 23 |
| SAN ANDRES | 38 | 4 |
| SAN MIGUEL | 24 | 6 |
| VIGA | 31 | 31 |
| VIRAC | 63 | 51 |
| CATANDUANES | 315 | 169 |
In the past years, the provincial government has already provided P10 million for the construction of 394 toilets in selected barangays while the DOH has funded over P9 million in WASH projects in four towns.
It gave P2.5 million for Viga and P1.7 million for Gigmoto for toilet construction and recently downloaded P2.5 million to San Andres for the same purpose.
A similar amount has been given to the Panganiban LGU for toilet construction in typhoon-ravaged coastal barangays like Cagdarao where 75 percent of houses were washed out by storm surge.
As for Caramoran, it was explained that while training has been provided to barangays, the municipal government, particularly the sanitation inspector, did not signify that any of its 27 barangays were ready for certification.