Creative Executive Summary

Welcome to Enchanting Palo! A little more than 73,000

population of Palo of survivors visited by various natural events. Almost
100% of health infrastructures and health service delivery was put to a
lull. Malnutrition prevalence rate which has quite gone up to 19% last
2014, a year after Super Typhoon Yolanda but has lowered to 12 % to
date. We have prepared for any emergency but it was overwhelmed.
Around 17,353 households had survived its onslaught and the same
number gradually has regained strength as Filipino spirit of bayanihan
forged local cooperation as foreign assistance poured in in order to speed
up recovery and reconstruction. Indeed, emergency is manageable and
disaster is preventable.
Hence, the urgent need of preparedness and mitigation over quick
response for any event is of utmost importance and this Health
Emergency Preparedness Response and Recovery Plan as the product of
evidenced-based planning on resiliency of health system as part and
parcel of the municipal disaster risk reduction management. The Local
Government Unit of Palo has crafted it according to the 7 sturdy building
blocks of WHO health system with their corresponding doable strategies. It
is likened to a house and its parts are as follows:
The Durable Roof of Leadership and Governance exemplified by a
canopy of strategies like signing of agreements among local pharmacies,
food establishments like bakeries, groceries and rice dealers to supply
medicines, food and other necessary services. The necessity of forging
internal and external health human resources as strengthened by the
Service Delivery Network (SDN). Establishment of a permanent structure
that will serve as the Emergency Operation Center has been planned
out.Building Competency thru WaSH in Emergency through training of
municipal WaSH task force and barangay WaSH volunteers. Part of this
building block is the establishment Mental Health Psychosocial Support
team in the workplace and regular annual team-building activities in
municipal and barangay-level to forge stronger working relationship and
cooperation. Backed up by policies, the sustainability of Palo Protecting
the Protectors Program (4Ps) will be ensured to incentivize disaster
response teams and other LGU employees who consistently volunteers for
quick response. It would be in the form of monetary and non-monetary
incentives. Training of Municipal Nutrition Action Officer and the barangay
volunteers on Nutrition in Emergency as a capacity building to them will
cascade to capacitate the mothers and carers of children in every
household to combat the malnutrition.
The Tough Floor of Health Workforce
Inventory of barangay DRR advocates and ambassadors and
organize them into support teams per cluster i.e. community-based health
service delivery, WaSH, Nutrition and MHPSS will be the prime movers of
culture of resiliency in the communities and the eventual household

emergency preparedness. Basic Life Support and First Aid Training among
municipal and barangay volunteers toward enhancement of Health
Emergency management system (HEMS) and the Service delivery Network
of the Local Government Unit of Palo.
The Sturdy Pillars of Information and Research
Conduct descriptive / analytical research on Health emergency.
preparedness response and recovery in LGU setting together with our
partner health academe, and other research institutions . Establishment of
resilient data banking thru full implementation of eHealth, iClinicsys and
the like. Disaster-resilient installation of updated Community Multi-Hazard
Maps and evacuation directional maps (using common vernacular) in
strategic place in each vulnerable barangay.
The Durable Beams of Medicines and Technology
Timely and efficient stockpiling medicines food stuff before any
event. Utilization of Bio-Sand Filter Technology in evacuation centres or
areas with challenges to water safety and potability and discover its
livelihood-generating potentials.
The Firm Foundation of Health Financing
Amendment of LGUs users fee ordinance to increase revenue
considering affordability especially to the poorest of the poor. Work for
PhilHealth re-accreditation (renewal) and DOH accreditation of 3 in 1 plus
package wherein capitation can be used to improve health service
delivery. LGU sponsorship to increase PhilHealth membership even after
the lifting of its all availment policy.
The Solid Walls of Health Service Delivery
Health facility enhancement program implementation to upgrade
rural health unit building and equipment. Strengthen Inter-Local Health
Zone / International partnerships, ensure functional service delivery
network especially during emergencies from affected areas to proper
referral institutions. Training on and revival of Botika ng barangay(BNB)
for easy access and affordability of essential meds (DOH program)
especially for the underprivileged.
The Vast Culture of Community Resilience
Regular quarterly conduct of barangay- and school- based multihazard drills (e.g. flooding, fire, earthquake, tsunami, storm surge etc.)
cascading the proper knowledge, skills and attitude down the householdlevel emergency preparedness. Livelihood Program on Manageable,
Affordable, Tasty, use of Indigenous materials and ingredients Nutritious
(MATIN) compact meal which could be stockpiled before any emergency.
We banked on our people, ourselves who are connected with one another
with orchestrated effort in order to work for and sustain vital systems,
even under pressure. Being able to adapt to changes in the physical,

psycho-social or economic environments and could stand on their own

even if outside resources became scarce and limited and learn from
experience to improve for the better over time. This awareness is
important so that the Local Government must be able to mitigate the
physical, economic, and psycho-social impact of events on its general
constituency.
We realize that local funds are limited to straightaway accommodate
all present necessities for disaster or emergency preparedness and
management. This plan has provided all of us the perspective that we
need for a systematic and comprehensive consideration of the
fundamental requisites necessary for us to efficiently cope with any event
and within our means. Many would offer help from the outside as we
people of Palo have to help ourselves, do things right, and with the right
unified perspective that is the culture of community and household
resiliency.