COTABATO CITY – The Police Regional Office of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (PRO-BARMM) rallies the national anti-polio campaign by designating a strategic checkpoint along the highway between Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur to conduct vaccination on children aboard public and private vehicle passing by.
Travelling journalists witnessed Thursday last week a team of mostly female cops manning a checkpoint in Barangay Pinantao, Parang, Maguindanao and administering vaccines on children 59 months old and below
Brig. Gen. Marni Marcos, PRO-BARMM director, called the team “bakunadors” band he reportedly formed for a two-prong mission – peace keeping among commuters of all ages and vaccination for children of prescribed age bracket.
Hundreds of children from the Iranun towns of Barira, Buldon and Matanog in Maguindanao and parts of Lanao del Sur have already been vaccinated at the checkpoint, which is about five kilometers away from the PRO-BARMM headquarters, according to the “bakunadors.”
Lt. Darren Glenn Reyes, nurse officer, and Major Michelle Deiparine, chief nurse, were seen leading the conduct of vaccination last Thursday.
BARMM, which replaced the 29-year old Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), covers Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur (inclouding Marawi City), Basilan (including Lamitan City), Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, Cotabato City and 63 villages in six North Cotabato towns. (Ali G. Macabalang)