Bohol Gov. Edgar Chatto, who has been commended for his superb handling of the earthquake crisis, admitted on Friday that while thousands of quake victims have been sufficiently provided with food and water, new challenges arise as the Province still has to deal with various other issues concerning the welfare of the evacuees who are camping in the more than 300 evacuation sites in hard-hit towns today. Chatto said the Capitol, national government agencies, and many other groups and charitable organizations/institutions would continue to deliver relief goods until the quake victims would have been able to stand on their own. The governor said that food and water is no longer an immediate concern of the evacuees, but sanitation, health, permanent relocation sites, and even peace and order situation in the various camp sites.

“We do recognize the fact that the crisis that we are facing today is far from over,” Chatto said in an interview, “but rest assured, that the Provincial Government of Bohol, together with many other offices, agencies, groups and institutions, is working round the clock, and we will never rest until our people would have been provided with permanent relocation sites with decent homes where they can start to rebuild their lives, with the continued support of our government.” The Provincial Government of Bohol has been praised by national and international officials and agencies for its effective handling of the crisis that struck Bohol since Oct. 15. Sources said the earthquake crisis has tested the resilience of the provincial government.

“Bohol has been declared as the Best Governed Province in the Philippines for the last two years. And this distinction of the province of Bohol is evident on how its officials manage the crisis and take care of our people,” sources in national government agencies have said. Meanwhile, the Department of Health—National Capital Region (DOH-NCR) on Monday sent Medical and Water and Sanitation Hygiene (WASH) teams to Bohol to address the immediate needs and concerns of the victims of the earthquake that struck Central Visayas last October 15, 2013. “These additional teams will augment the existing health and emergency teams already deployed in far flung barangays that suffered the most casualties during the earthquake. It will further expand medical coverage and more people will be given proper management and treatment,” Regional Director Eduardo C. Janairo stated.

“We need to safeguard the health of the victims of the earthquake that is why we are continuously sending health teams to providing disinfection and sanitation services in evacuation areas. Safe, clean and potable water must be ensured to avert the possibility brought by unsafe water,” he added. The WASH team of the DOH-NCR will ascertain the potability of drinking water, monitor excreta disposal, supervise the solid waste management and provide disinfection of rooms and antidengue spraying. The deployment of medical and WASH teams is a directive of Secretary of Health Enrique T. Ona as assurance of the DOH’s full medical support on medicines and medical assistance to the government of Bohol.

The teams will also assist in the gathering of data and progress reports, deployment of WASH and medical mission teams and distribution of medicines in areas that are hardly hit by the earthquake. Among the supplies that will be used by the WASH team are sterilizing and disinfecting solution (MD) such as Hyposol, Adulticide (Pesguard/Gokilat) and Larvicide. Medicines and medical supplies includes multivitamins syrup, multivitamins with iron, Amlodipine (5 mg/tab), Mefenamic Acid (500 mg/cap), Ascorbic acid tablet, Oresol Solutions, Alcohol, cotton, and CAMPOLAS KIT (composed of Cotrimoxazole, Amoxicillin, Mefenamic Acid, Paracetamol, ORS, Lagundi, Vit A and skin ointment). The two teams will be in Bohol for five days and another team will substitute after their tour of duty. “We will continue to respond to the health needs of those affected by the disaster and will provide continuous assistance until such time that the people have already recovered,” Janairo concluded. (with reports from DOH)