11 LGUs make benchmark visits to Bacolod EOC

BACOLOD City – Eleven local government units (LGUs), not only in Negros Occidental but also from some parts of Western Visayas, sent their officials and personnel to visit the daily huddle of the Bacolod City Emergency Operations Center Task Force (EOC-TF) for benchmarking.

These visits, which focused on observing the daily operations of the EOC-TF, allow other LGUs to pick up some points that may be useful in enhancing their very own response against the COVID-19 pandemic.

The LGUs that made visits in the past two weeks include the Municipalities of Isabela, Murcia, Moises Padilla, La Castellana, Hinigaran, and Binalbagan; and the Cities of Bago, Himamaylan, and Silay – all in Negros Occidental.

Representatives from the Provincial Health Offices of Aklan and Capiz also conducted visits at the Bacolod EOC-TF.

Aside from the LGUs, various agencies likewise took time to observe the EOC-TF operations, including the Office of Civil Defense (OCD-6), the Department of Health (DOH-6), the Negros Occidental Provincial Mobile Force Company (NOCPMFC), and the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) in the Visayas.

Mayor Evelio Leonardia had issued Executive Order (EO) No. 59 creating the Bacolod City EOC-TF to provide a body that will gather and harmonize data for better policy implementation against COVID-19.

The EO was issued due to the sudden spike in COVID cases in Bacolod City last August.

The EOC-TF is headed by Leonardia and its operations is under the supervision of IATF-Visayas chief implementer Mel Feliciano.

Its officers are City Administrator Em Ang as executive director and deputy for administration and operations; Dr. Anna Maria Laarni Pornan as isolation facilities cluster head; Dr. Chris Sorongon and Dr. Hector Gayares as deputies for medical; and John Dave Dueñas as deputy for data collection and management.

Feliciano said the point of having the EOC-TF is to centralize the efforts and activities against the spread of COVID-19. (Bacolod City PIO)