ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines  – Top United States (US) officials have renewed their government’s constant support to the campaign against high infant mortality incidence in depressed Filipino communities, including the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), with the donation of 23 vaccine refrigerators in support to the ARMM’s health department immunization campaign.

“In a region with very low immunization coverage, the United States would like to help reduce infant and under-five mortalities by providing equipments and technical assistance (to) ensure the efficacy of vaccines that are thought to save lives by preventing disease via immunization,” US Ambassador to the Philippines Harry Thomas said, with reference to ARMM.

Thomas issued the reassuring remark after handing over to ARMM’s Department of Health (DoH) Secretary Kadil “Jojo” Sinolinding Jr. the 23 modern vaccine refrigerators, seven of which are solar-powered that can be used in isolated communities lacking electric supply.

The US envoy was accompanied by Gloria Steele, the half-Filipina mission director of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) at the turnover rites here recently.

“We are one with people who dream of a healthy community through effective implementation of programs designed to promote the children’s health and welfare. With all the health projects under USAID, we wish to see the realization of MDG commitment of the country as a partner ahead of time,” Steele said in a separate speech.

Dr. Aristides Tan, head of the Center for Health Development in Region 9, who witnessed the ceremony, shared the US officials’ assur-ances, saying that since “diseases know no boundaries and respects no territories, our commitment and support from our neighbor provinces shall be the same (for ARMM). ”

Tan particularly committed his agency’s direct collaboration with the provincial health offices in the ARMM component-island provinces of Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi, which are nearer to his office here.

Sinolinding, representing ARMM acting Gov. Ansaruddin Alonto Adiong, gladly received the 23 vaccine refrigerators and underscored the importance of the facilities in the autonomous region.

“To some, these refrigerators are mere pieces of cooling appliances. In the eyes of the DoH-ARMM, they are essential equipment needed to preserve the effectiveness of vaccines and other heat sensitive medicines designed to save precious lives among the people of our poverty-stricken region. This boosts our immunization campaign coverage in the most difficult areas,” he said.

Sinolinding described the ARMM as a “region with the poorest state of health reflected in maternal, infant and under-five mortality rates that top the national figure (IMR, MMR, UFMR), and the lowest immunization coverage, with the most numbers of geographically isolated and difficult areas.”

He said this region also has the “least number of health workers, poorly equipped hospitals, and (with) highly mobile population due to internal strife and natural disasters.”

Meanwhile, works for the construction of 170 core shelters for conflict-affected villagers in Talitay, Maguindanao will commence next week, following the awarding of the contract to a winning bidder for the project, officials said Friday.

Adiong and Julhanni J. Bandila of MALC Hardware signed the contract worth P7,152,988 on June 28 at the former’s office here, said Jam Benito of the Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (PAMANA) program.

The contract provides for the purchase of supplies and materials in constructing 170 core shelters for residents in Barangay Linamonan, Talitay town, displaced by fighting in 2008 between government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) forces.

Adiong urged the contractor to fast-track the construction of the 170 core shelters for the welfare of the “long-awaiting beneficiaries.”

He said the completion of the project would form part of the legacies of his administration that ends on September 30.

The core shelter project is part of the multi-pronged PAMANA program, Benito said.