The Department of Health-Ilocos Region recently recognized Ilocos Norte as the first province in the Philippines to achieve a 95.7% vaccination coverage rate for Human Papillomavirus in an effort to eliminate cervical cancer.
Regional Director Paula Paz M. Sydiongco presented the award to Ilocos Norte Gov. Cecilia Araneta-Marcos, honoring the province’s immunization campaign that successfully delivered the first vaccine dose to 22,039 girls aged 9 to 14.
HPV is a common viral infection and a primary cause of cervical cancer, which remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths among women globally as health officials emphasize that achieving high inoculation rates among young girls is the most critical step toward providing long-term protection and neutralizing the disease as a public health threat.
“This achievement demonstrates what can be accomplished when local governments, health workers, schools, and communities unite behind a shared public health goal. Ilocos Norte has set a remarkable example for the entire country by achieving the target coverage needed to provide strong protection against HPV-related diseases,” Sydiongco said.
The regional health office credited the breakthrough to a massive multi-sectoral mobilization, pairing with the provincial government and its health office with the Office of the Presidential Assistant for Northern Luzon, led by Assistant Secretary Ana Carmela Ventura-Remigio, alongside the Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center, local schools, and community parents.
Araneta-Marcos expressed gratitude to the health department and local stakeholders, framing the high coverage rate as a critical safeguard for the province’s youth.
“This achievement is a testament to all who worked together to ensure that every eligible girl is protected. Their commitment has made a lasting investment in the health and future of the young women of Ilocos Norte,” Araneta-Marcos said.
DOH officials said they hope Ilocos Norte’s success will serve as a blueprint for other local government units across the Philippines to ramp up their own preventive healthcare systems and community-based immunization programs. NLMonitor
