Four barangays in the Municipality of Lezo were certified as Zero Open Defecation (ZOD) Certified Barangays in the verification and certification activity held on December 2, 2022, as part of its ongoing campaign for hygienic practices and safer toilets for residents.
Personnel from the Provincial Health Office and the Department of Health Regional Office 6 visited the four barangays, validated, and issued certifications of “zero open defecation” (ZOD) status to Bagto, Bugasongan, Agcawilan, and Silakat Nonok.
The ZOD status indicates that the aforementioned barangays in the municipality have access to safe toilets and have stopped using open defecation.
In previous years, the MHO, in collaboration with provincial and national agencies, launched its ZOD campaign at the barangay and municipal levels to ensure that there is no defection in open areas, thereby preventing the contamination of water sources, which could result in diseases such as typhoid, hepatitis, diarrhea, and amoebiasis, among others, in the Municipality of Lezo. (By Ernan T. Baldomero, Photo by Keran C. Palma).