Senator Bam Aquino. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/LYN RILLON
MANILA, Philippines – Set aside politics and just focus on the welfare of children at risk.
This was the call of opposition Senator Bam Aquino amid the declaration of measles outbreaks in various parts of the country by the Department of Health (DOH).
“Tama na po ang turuan at sisihan. Tama na po ang pamumulitika. Unahin po ang mga bata dahil nasa matinding panganib ang ating mga anak,” Aquino said in a statement on Friday.
DOH has first declared a measles outbreak in Metro Manila and subsequently expanded it Central Luzon and Calabarzon as well as Western and Eastern Visayas on Thursday.
READ: Measles outbreaks in 4 more regions
READ: DOH raises measles ‘red flag’ in more regions after NCR outbreak
“Kailangan din po tayong matuto sa trahedyang ito na hindi dapat pinupulitika ang kalusugan ng ating mga kabataan,” Aquino pointed out.
The senator urged for the establishment of an inter-agency task force that will address the epidemic.
He said the task force should be led by DOH and joined by other agencies such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Education (DepED), and Philippine Information Agency (PIA).
“The inter-agency task force will address the needs of the victims and conduct an aggressive and sustained health promotion drive to get parents to have their kid vaccinated,” he said.
The senator also appealed to the public, especially parents, to cooperate with the government to stop the public menace and have children in their families to get vaccinated. /kga