ILOILO City – A new risk database system classifies border and coastal barangays here as “high risk” areas for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
These villages must be prioritized in the vaccination program, said Franco Agudo, City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO) statistician.
The web-based Geospatial Risk Database (GRiD) System for COVID-19 was developed with the assistance of the National Resilience Council (NRC) which chose Iloilo City as one of the pilot areas.
NRC is working on a study with Epimetrics, a health research institution, together with Dr. John Wong, consultant for the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.
In determining a barangay’s risk level, Agudo said the following factors were considered: population, number of vaccinated senior citizens, COVID-19 incidence, and average daily attack rate (ADAR) for every 100,000 population.
Agudo said Barangay Mohon in Arevalo district is a “high risk” area because it has a transport terminal which serves as the entry point of those from southern Iloilo and Antique province.
Also considered as “high risk” is Barangay Tagbak in Jaro district; it hosts a transport terminal and serves as entry point of those from central and northern Iloilo and the provinces of Capiz and Aklan.
Meanwhile, Barangay Loboc in Lapuz was also deemed “high risk” because this is where the international port of the city is located. Parts of the district also host warehouses.
Agudo added that the abovementioned villages were “high-traffic and high-mobility” areas on top of them being densely populated.
“Kumbaga ang movement sang tawo dira… amo ‘na ang isa ka mga rason kon ngaa ‘high risk’ sila at the same time nubo gid ang iya vaccination rate, mataas ang kaso, kag dira damo convergence ang tawo,” Agudo explained.
On the other hand, the barangays near Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) companies and big malls are also deemed “high risk” for infections because of the transient residents from other areas who are not yet vaccinated against COVID-19.
To discuss the strategy on this case, city coordinator for BPO and Executive Assistant Francis Cruz together with the Iloilo City COVID team will meet.
VAX ROLL OUT
Mayor Jerry Treñas said the City Vaccination Team will look into the interpreted data so as to put in place adjustments in vaccination.
“Barangays with high cases but with low vaccination rates will be given priority. We will then see the case turnout in vaccinated areas,” Treñas said.
Barangays in Iloilo City were classified into nine levels, Level 1 being the top priority barangays because of its high ADAR and low vaccination rate (July 25 until Aug. 7 period) while Level 9 is the lowest because it has the least cases and a high number of vaccinated population.
The highest priority will be those belonging to Levels 1 to 3, medium priority – 4 to 6, and lowest priority – 7 to 9.
For Level 1, here are the barangays with high ADAR and low vaccination rate:
* Mandurriao – Bakhaw, Buhang Taft North, Navais, Dungon C, and Pali Benedicto
* La Paz – Magsaysay Village and Lopez Jaena Norte
* Lapuz – Loboc
* Jaro – San Pedro and Tacas
Vaccination for residents in these areas will start today, Aug. 18.
Meanwhile, the University of the Philippines Visayas, through Professor Jessica Dator-Bercilla, also assisted in the data analysis.
NRC facilitated the coaching and discussions on vaccination strategy to prevent COVID-19 deaths.
They provided technical support to preliminary dashboards and proposed work plan for the full development of Web-GRiD for COVID-19 Pandemic Response and Recovery.
Based on the data analysis, other barangays that will be prioritized in the vaccination rollout, based on their respective level of risk and vaccination status are the following:
* LEVEL 2 (high incidence, medium vaccination rate) – Bantud, Montinola, San Nicolas, Benedicto (Jaro), Nabitasan, Santa Filomena, Burgos-Mabini-Plaza, North San Jose, Sto. Niño Norte, Guzman-Jesena, Oñate de Leon, Taal, Infante, Sambag, Tabucan, Marcelo H. del Pilar, San Jose (City Proper), Tagbak, and Mohon;
* LEVEL 3 (medium incidence, low vaccination) – Bolilao, Compania, Kasingkasing, San Isidro (Jaro), Tabuc Suba (La Paz), Tabuc Suba (Jaro), Buntatala, Cubay, Lanit, San Jose (Arevalo), Timawa Tanza I, Calahunan, Dulonan, Lapuz Norte, San Pedro (Molo), Ungka, Calaparan, Fajardo, Magdalo, Santo Rosario-Duran, West Habog-habog, Calumpang, Gustilo, Molo Boulevard, Simon Ledesma, Yulo Drive, Camalig, Ingore, Railway , So-oc, Zamora-Melliza, Cochero, Jereos, San Antonio;
* LEVEL 4 (high incidence, high vaccination) – Abeto Mirasol, Taft South, Hipodromo, Luna (La Paz), Our Lady Of Fatima, San Jose (Jaro), Arguelles, Inday, M. V. Hechanova, Poblacion (Molo), San Roque, Buhang, Javellana, Magsaysay, President Roxas, San Vicente, Danao, Lopez Jaena (Jaro), Maria Cristina, Quezon, Seminario (Burgos Jalandoni), Delgado-Jalandoni- Bagumbayan, Lopez Jaena Sur, Nonoy, Quintin Salas, Sta. Rosa, Dungon A, Luna (Jaro), North Fundidor, San Agustin, Villa Anita, and El 98 Castilla (Claudio Lopez);
* LEVEL 5 (medium incidence, medium vaccination rate) – Balabago, Hibao-an Norte, Balantang, Katilingban, Bonifacio (Arevalo), Lapuz Sur, Concepcion-Montes, MacArthur, Don Esteban-Lapuz, Our Lady Of Lourdes, Dungon B, Santa Cruz, East Baluarte, and Sinikway (Bangkerohan Lapuz);
* LEVEL 6 (low incidence, low vaccination) – Aguinaldo, General Hughes-Montes, Muelle Loney-Montes , San Rafael, Airport (Tabucan Airport), Habog-habog , Salvacion, North Baluarte, South Baluarte, Alalasan Lapuz, Hinactacan, Obrero-Lapuz, South Fundidor, Baldoza, Jalandoni-Wilson, Punong-Lapuz, Sto. Domingo, Baybay Tanza, Kauswagan, Rima-Rizal, Sto. Niño Sur, Bito-on, Legaspi dela Rama, Rizal (La Paz), Tanza-Esperanza, Bonifacio Tanza, Libertad-Lapuz, Rizal Estanzuela, Ticud (La Paz), Caingin, Malipayon-Delgado, Rizal Palapala I, Timawa Tanza II, Calubihan, Mansaya-Lapuz, Rizal Palapala II, Veterans Village, Democracia, Monica Blumentritt, San Juan, West Timawa, and Flores.
* LEVEL 7 (medium incidence, high vaccination) – Banuyao, Cuartero, Divinagracia, Hibao-an Sur, North Avanceña, PHHC Block 17, PHHC BLock 22 NHA, Sampaguita, South San Jose, Tap-oc
*LEVEL 8 (low incidence, medium vaccination rate) – Desamparados, Ortiz, East Timawa, Progerso-Lapuz, Gloria, Rizal-Ibarra, Jalandoni Estate-Lapuz, San Felix, Kahirupan, Yulo-Arroyo, Mabolo-Delgado; and
* LEVEL 9 (low incidence, high vaccination) – Arsenal Aduana, Osmeña, Ed Ganzon, Roxas Village, Laguda, San Isidro (La Paz), Maria Clara, Taytay Zone II./PN
