Governor Sharee Ann Tee Tan-delos is not a new figure in leading the Samar Province. Having the trust and confidence of local people, Governor Sharee Ann won the elections from time to time, consecutively oftentimes. Grabbing the opportunity at hand, Governor Sharee Ann’s spirit remains the same: giving better living conditions to every Samarnon. With this spirit, she has successfully developed initiatives that provide solutions to challenges faced by local people, such as in health, tourism, and sanitation areas.
Ospital Sa Barangay (OSB) is a healthcare programme of the Samar Province that brings health services closer to local people. Through OSB, the provincial government visits local people, even in remote areas, and brings health services (laboratory tests, ultrasound, x-ray) for free. Consultation is also provided for free in addition to the necessary medicines and supplements. The provincial government also cooperated with the private sector (One Life) to create a digital healthcare system and make diagnostics and health data available. The goal is to enable local government to have a glimpse of the general health condition of local people so that they can come up with relevant initiatives. The referral system is also developed so that local people who need additional medical attention can be referred to the Samar Provincial Hospital for further action.
Samar Centre for Developmental Paediatrics (CDP) is a facility provided by the local government to meet the increasing demand for specialised developmental care. Located in the Spark Samar Development Hub, CDP provides expert medical care for children with special needs, including occupational therapy, speech therapy, and physical therapy. It also plays the role as an educational hub for parents and teachers, providing them with knowledge and skills to support children effectively. CDP has also started receiving online registrations.
Spark Samar is a tourism campaign developed in 2014 under the administration of Governor Sharee Tan, promoting Samar as a place of boundless travel and investment opportunities. This initiative is developed as the primary backbone following the province’s recovery from Typhoon Yolanda. Media recorded that the initiative helped increase tourist arrivals from 96,000 (2017) to 200,608 (2018) and revenue from P1.9 billion (2017) to P2.8 billion (2018). This initiative also won the Bronze Stevie Award at the 2019 International Business Awards in Vienna, Austria (2019).
Climate-resilient sanitation has also been the focus of the Samar government. In October 2023, provincial government of Samar signed a memorandum of agreement with microfinance institutions (ASA Philippines, LifeBank Philippines and Negros Women for Tomorrow’s Foundation) and supported by UNICEF Philippines to make climate-resilient toilets affordable to poor families. Selected 150 households as beneficiaries who only pay 15% of the toilet cost in 12 monthly instalments. The climate-resilient toilets will safely contain faecal matter and prevent contamination of groundwater and the environment, especially during disasters and eventually reduce the incidence of waterborne diseases such as diarrhoea and cholera, leading to malnutrition. The leadership of Governor Sharee Ann Tee Tan focuses on presenting solutions to the needs and challenges faced by local people. Meaningful support from various stakeholders will certainly smooth out her steps in giving better living conditions for every Samarnon.
Source:
https://www.ikot.ph/samar-lgu-launches-ospital-sa-barangay-project/
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1084088
https://samarchronicle.com/green/spark-adventure-samar-launches-three-new-tourism-circuits/
https://pia.gov.ph/samar-starts-offering-therapy-services-to-special-needs-children/
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1084088
https://www.ikot.ph/samar-govt-eyes-toilets-for-poor-communities/#google_vignette
Photos:
Google, Wikipedia
