A glimpse of what government is doing in a region

Last Wednesday, I opted to attend the Western Visayas Regional Development Council’s awards for excellence in governance to line agencies and local governments. The event gave me an exciting glimpse into what the government has doing beyond the political din of the National Capital Region.

I would have preferred to attend the Philippine Sugar Ecologists’ Convention in Cebu. But I anticipated that the major prospective event would have attracted a bevy of writers, including The Philippine STAR’s correspondent who would adequately cover it.

But often, a regional affair tends to be glossed over. The implications are overlooked. That, pointed out RDC VI chairwoman, Antique Gov. Sally Zaldivar-Perez, provided a glimpse into a failures and successes — a learning lesson.

The winners — line agencies, provincial and city governments — showed that the government has been waging in many instances successful attempts in their efforts to improve the quality of life of the people. These provide a different picture of what left-leaning organizations have been harping on — apathy — in the face of a worsening situation.

A solid argument against street marches and protest demos. An invitation for people to join hands with the government to propel development.

Mike Defensor, the niño bonito of the Arroyo administration, was the keynote speaker. He admitted having been arm-twisted by Gov. Perez to represent President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in the affair. Mrs. Arroyo was originally the invited keynote speaker.

Capping the RDC meeting was the awarding of three regional line agencies, two provinces, two cities, and three state universities and colleges for excellence in governance. They were meticulously assessed by leaders of non-government organizations together with the RDC. Certificates were handed out to six regional line agencies, eight local government units, and a state college for making it as finalists.

Having completed the residential training course on development administration at the University of the Philippines’ College of Public administration, that event provided me both an educational and enlightening contrast to what protesters often mouth.

One project winner — Operation Dikit and tax mapping and compliance verification by the BIR — conformed with what NEDA Secretary Romeo Neri claimed — there is enough money to find the SONA projects.

The program involved visits to 7,680 establishments, 4,571 of which were found to have violated BIR regulations and rules. Of the number, 256 complied and paid their taxes. Thus, in 2,005, collections increased by P4.7 million with hotels paying P1.5 million and restaurants, P786,046.17 more. VAT collection from wholesale and retail trading rose by P40 million: hotels and motels by P22 million, and restaurants and caterers by P3.8 million. That was the reason why BIR Region II or Iloilo City jumped to third in terms of revenue collection percentage.

Some government programs, however, are less noticeable, except for those who have benefited from them. But these run into hundreds of thousands. The regional health department’s Directly Observed Treatment Short-Course (DOTS) comprehensive strategy against tuberculosis and lung diseases is a comprehensive strategy endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO)

It consists of assigning a responsible person to observe and watch a patient take correct medications daily during the whole course of the TB treatment. The result: up to 95 percent cure rate, a significant thing to a country where TB had caused staggering economic losses.

The program also calls for the establishment of TB Diagnostic Committees (TBDCs), which are responsible for evaluating the TB-symptomatic through X-rays show. They reduce the level of over-diagnosis and assure that some TB cases are detected and provided with the appropriate anti-TB treatment. This also does away with drug wastage.

Public and private facilities are certified as DOTS Centers to ensure quality DOTS implementation. Accredited and certified centers of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. serve as providers of out-patient DOTS packages, giving Filipinos access to quality healthcare services and removing the health and economic burden on TB patients.

Prior to the introduction and implementation of the program, Western Visayas ranked the second highest in TB cases nationwide. This was the reason why it qualified to be a DOTS pilot area.

Since the implementation of the TB control program in 1978, there was no reduction of cases. In 1978, short-course chemotherapy was implemented. But the result was the same: no marked improvement. Multi-drug-resistant TB cases developed due to incomplete treatment.

I recalled how my late wife, Lourdes L. Espina, director of the regional hospital, often complained that TB patients ended up worse than they were before when they were given free government medicines simply because they did away with the medication as soon as the symptoms such as coughing disappeared.

Anyway, just to touch on the results, the cure rate increased to 85 percent in early 2000, 87 percent in 2003, and 88 percent in 2004. TB morbidity also dropped from 46.46 per 100,000 population in 2002 to 23.79 per in 2004.

Actually, a program like this is hardy felt by people outside the family of a TB patient. But it touches the heart of hundreds of thousands. A bed-bound patient finally gets up and starts working. That may have no meaning to people outside his family. But overall, that contributes to an improvement in the life of a family. Flag-wavers certainly do not contribute to curing the TB patients. It is the trained health worker and the government medical and paramedical personnel who quietly do their work in meticulously monitoring the medicine-taking of the TB patient.

Well, there are many more such success stories I could write about and what government agencies in Region VI have accomplished so far. These two projects, however, give an insight into the fact that the government has been doing something for the people more than just marching and raising clinched fists in protest.