12 Agusan tribesmen die in suspected measles outbreak

SANTIAGO, Agusan del Norte — Twelve persons have already died from what the health department in Caraga Region described as suspected "measles outbreak" in five tribal barangays here since Dec. 23, Mamanwa tribal leaders said yesterday.

National Commission of Indigenous People (NCIP) spokesperson Elvira Catuburan of Caraga Region identified seven of the 11 dead victims from the outbreak as, Amelita Anlagan, 21, Jun-Jun Anlagan, 1 year old, Jemil Enriquez, 2, Long-Long Enriquez, 8 mos. old, Joeben Bago, 1 1/2 years old, German Bago, 1 yr. old, and pregnant Filomena Monoz, 45, all members of the Mamanwa tribe.

Mamanwa tribal leaders here who sought assistance from any available media outlets claimed the lack of "measle immunization program" by the government had aggravated the outbreak of measles in the area.

Mamanwa leaders who requested anonymity told The STAR that some who claimed to be pro-lumads or acting as representatives of the lumads are just exploiting them saying that goods sent by government to their settlement were now nowhere to be found.

"The rise in the death toll was aggravated by slow response of concerned government agencies for medical mission to far-flung tribal barangay hardest hit by the measles outbreak", Mamanwa Datu Porogoy said.

Santiago NCIP Municipal Officer Rudy Arat, a lumad himself, claimed the "lack of sincere concern" for local officials of the plight of hundreds of Mamanwa tribesmen in the area worsened the situation.

Catuburan told The STAR that hardest hit by "suspected measles outbreak" were remote and hinterland tribal barangays of Matingue, Sinawsawan, Kasagayan, Pangaylan and Mambajo, some 30 to 36 kilometers walking distance from Barangay Poblacion here.

The tribal barangays are also suspected to be NPA rebel-infested areas and haven of common and hardened criminals hiding from authorities.

Catuburan also identified some of those hospitalized as, Evelyn, 11, Lab-Lab, 10 mos., all surnamed Lauro, Editha, 23, Vergel, 18, Joan, 47, Carla, 27, Roda, 39, Jenny, 25, William, 8, Emil, 11, Roque, 9, and Nenita, 20, all surnamed Bago.

Others were, Dondon Porogoy, 24, Jun Manhupay, 15, Junjie, 12, Michelle, 20, Ruel, 15, Marito, 21, and Lauro, 7, all surnamed Enriquez, all are members of the Mamanwa tribes.

Catuburan claimed that the alleged "measles outbreak", started last Dec. 23 when five sick persons were brought to the Santiago Rural Health Center of this town.

Municipal and provincial officials headed by Agusan del Norte Gov. Maria Angelica Rossdel Amante immediately dispatched health personnel, medicine, and food to the area.

The difficulty of bringing medicine and health personnel to the said tribal barangays because of bad road condition and lack of mode of transportation has raised fear of the further spread of the suspected "measles outbreak".

Clemente Villones of the Regional Epidemiology Surveillance Unit of the Department of Health Caraga Region told The STAR that blood samples of the affected patients were already sent to the Research Institute of Tropical Medicine (RITM) in Mandaluyong to determine the "virus" that cause the suspected "outbreak".

"We still have to determine the medical history of the area so that temporarily we may call it a suspected measles outbreak, Villones said.