BONTOC, Mountain Province – This municipality is one of the five local government units in the Cordillera that was conferred the 2021 Dugong Bayani Award by the Department of Health in partnership with the Philippine Blood Center.
The other awardees are Kapangan, Benguet; Balbalan, Kalinga; Lagawe, Ifugao; and Asin District Health Center, Tuba, Benguet.
The award highlights the municipality’s unwavering life-saving advocacy and blood donation which the community, civil society groups, and volunteers have done throughout the year.
The Dugong Bayani Award is the highest recognition given to an organization or company that conducted mobile blood donation activities.
Also, it aimed to recognize LGUs in the region that shows unwavering support, commitment, and active involvement in the implementation of the National Blood Services Program pursuant to RA 7719 or the National Blood Services Act.
The LGUs were required to submit documents to the Provincial Health Office, which will verify and review the information and data submitted.
Each province through the PHO then selected one outstanding LGU to be its recipient of the Dugong Bayani Award.
The Bontoc LGU has been an advocate of blood donation activities.
In 2018, the Sangguniang Bayan passed Ordinance 302, s. 2018, “An Ordinance Establishing a Blood Donor’s Program in Every Barangay in the Municipality of Bontoc.
This is in recognition of the need to maintain a safe, quality, and accessible blood supply in saving the lives of those who need it during critical times. – Christy Che-es and Alpine Killa
