Muli nang tatanggap ng mga turista ang lalawigan ng Ilocos Norte matapos ang halos pitong buwang pagsasara dahil sa ipinatutupad na community quarantine bunsod ng coronavirus pandemic.

Ayon kay Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, simula sa Oktubre 15 ay maaari nang bumisita sa Ilocos Norte ang limitadong bilang ng mga lokal na turista na magmumula sa Luzon.

Isa ang Ilocos Norte sa mga dinarayong lugar sa bansa dahil sa adventure sites at magagandang tanawin rito, kabilang na ang Pagudpud, panoramic ocean views, sand dunes adventure, wind farms at Baroque architecture.

Ayon kay Romulo-Puyat, malaking tulong ang muling pagbubukas ng turismo sa lalawigan upang makabangon ang lokal na ekonomiya mula sa epekto ng pandemiya.

Ngunit paalala ng kalihim, kailangang sumunod sa mga requirement at health protocols ang mga bisita upang maiwasan ang posibleng pagkalat ng coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Kabilang sa mga requirement ang pagprisinta ng negative swab test result para sa COVID-19 ng mga bisita dalawang araw bago ang kanilang pag-alis; dapat rin ay may kumpirmado silang accommodation booking, travel agent o operator for tours, tour itinerary at medical certificate.

Tiniyak naman ng DOT na tutulong sila sa paglulunsad ng Visita Management System upang mabantayan ang pagpasok ng mga turista.

Katulad ito ng ipinatutupad na Visitor Information and Travel Assistance (VISITA) para sa mga bibisita sa Baguio City na kamakailan ay binuksan na rin para sa mga lokal na turista.

Maliban sa Ilocos Norte at Baguio City, muli na ring binuksan ang turismo sa Boracay Island. – RRD (mula sa ulat ni Correspondent Grace Doctolero)

The Department of Health (DOH) and the World Health Organization (WHO) is encouraging the public to enroll in the free online course about mental health.

The QualityRights Mental Health e-training course was developed by WHO and translated in Filipino in partnership with the DOH. It aims to improve access to quality mental health and social services.

Participants of the online course, according to the Health Department, will be able to improve their own mental health as well as support their friends and love ones who are experiencing mental health problems.

Interested individuals can register for free at http://bit.ly/QualityRightsPH.

Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III hopes the free online course will be able to help in addressing the mental health conditions and cognitive disabilities in the country.

“Mental health is a major public health concern that needs to be openly discussed and addressed. With the e-learning modules translated in Filipino, we hope to educate more people and facilitate more discussions that will ultimately help us understand and address the need of Filipinos with mental health conditions, and other intellectual and cognitive disabilities,” he said. AAC

The mental health of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) personnel is top priority, according to NCRPO Chief PMGen. Debold Sinas.

According to Sinas, the NCRPO frontliners are facing anxiety and other psychological impact of the Covid-19 crisis and the consequent enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).

“Being in the frontlines, most of my men chose not to be in close contact with their families anymore to lessen the chances of possible contamination in their homes. The extension of this community quarantine is also agonizing for them,” he said.

Because of this, the NCRPO through its Regional Health Service, launched a Mental Health Awareness Program for its personnel.

The program aims to monitor the mental health of every personnel especially those who were deployed in the frontlines.

“Our personnel is our most important resource. This is why we want to ensure that they get to have the support that they deserve to fight the unseen enemy. It is our obligation to guarantee that they have enough rest, nourishment and psychological abetment to withstand the challenges ahead,” Sinas said. AAC