A total of 4 Cities and 32 Municipalities were given recognition for their achievement of Zero Open Defecation (ZOD) status by the Department of Health – Ilocos Center for Health Development during the Regional Environmental Health and Sanitation Summit held in Urdaneta City, Pangasinan on November 22, 2024.
The event was graced by the presence of Hon. Julio F. Parayno III, Mayor of Urdaneta City, and Dr. Paula Paz M. Sydiongco, Regional Director of CHD Ilocos. The Municipality of Santol, La Union was awarded as the first municipality to be certified with Basic Sanitation Status.
Aside from the different LGUs, the event also recognized the Provincial Sanitary Engineers, Provincial, District, City and Rural Sanitation Inspectors who were able to encourage and support their local environmental health and sanitation partners in pursuing and achieving ZOD.
The ZOD Program aims that everyone has access to sufficient and adequate sanitary facilities by 2028. It is anchored to the DOH Administrative Order 2010-0021, “Sustainable Sanitation as a National Policy and a National Priority Program of the DOH.”
(Source: Healthy Region 1 Facebook page)