LDSC Donates Vaccine Carriers and Vaccination Cards to DOH CAR, Benguet and Baguio

Leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints donated five bio-thermal vaccine carriers and 50,000 vaccination cards on March 28, 2022, to the Department of Health Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), DOH Baguio Health Center, and DOH Benguet in support of its vaccination efforts to immunize children.

Amelita Pangilinan of DOH CAR expressed her heartfelt gratitude. She said, “Rest assured that these donations will be put to efficient use. This is to contribute towards attaining our collective goal where health is limitless and borderless. We’ll ensure no Cordilleran is left behind.”

Last year, the Department of Health (DOH) recognized the humanitarian arm of the Church, Latter-day Saint Charities (LDSC), for its contributions to the department’s campaign implementation of the Measles Rubella-Oral Polio Vaccine Supplemental Immunization Activity, which is a campaign organized to ensure that children receive life-saving vaccines for severe diseases amid the pandemic.

In her message, Dr. Rowena Galpo, CHO of DOH Baguio, said, “[These] will surely help us bring vaccines closer to the people. In this partnership, we, in the public sector, are looking forward to a better new normal.”

Reneson Sipi-an, National Immunization Program Coordinator of DOH Benguet, underscored the importance of the vaccine carriers for barangays (villages) determined as Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDA).

He said, “This donation is a big help in the distribution and transportation of vaccines. The province of Benguet has a high number of GIDA barangays. A hike from sitio to sitio is around 2-3 hours. These carriers are beneficial to the potency of the vaccine.”

In speaking of the health-related efforts of DOH, Gerry Guerra, Welfare and Self-Reliance Manager for CAR, said, “We have been observing wars, bloodshed, and hatred happening in some parts of the world, but we are grateful for people like you who are countering these attacks by giving love and service to the people of the community.”

President Jaime Ballena, President of the Baguio Stake (diocese), also expressed, “We are happy that we are given this opportunity to reach out to the people, our fellow Cordilleran.”

Latter-day Saint Charities and Immunization

One of LDSC’s primary initiatives is immunization; the humanitarian arm of the Church runs efforts with the aim of preserving the life and protecting the lives of all people, particularly children who are most vulnerable. LDSC does this by partnering with organizations around the world, including the Philippines’s DOH, to provide monetary support to deliver and improve vaccine delivery systems, disease monitoring, healthcare worker training, and vaccine procurement, among other services.