By Dolly Yasa
BACOLOD City – After two months of helping Bacolod City lower its COVID-19 cases and contain the spread of the virus, COVID-19 Interagency Task Force (IATF)-Visayas chief implementer Melquiades “Mel” Feliciano, his wife Mia Fe, and the team of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) bid the city goodbye evening of Nov 2, 2020.
Mayor Evelio Leonardia led the Bacolod officials in sending off Feliciano’s contingent at the Bacolod Silay Airport.
The OPAPP team is composed of Jessica Banganan, Marjorie Quiles, Johnnel Rañeses, and Adrianne Paulo Reales.
Leonardia said the Feliciano couple had supervised daily huddles and whole operation of the Bacolod City Emergency Operations Center (EOC) with the support of the OPAPP team and cluster heads since the first week of September.
Joining the send-off were officials and consultants of the EOC, including Councilor Lady Gles Pallen, president of the Liga ng mga Barangay; Dr. Chris Sorongon, deputy for medical; and Dr. Ralph Nico Selibio, Philippine consultant on COVID response of World Health Organization (WHO).
During his stint as EOC-TF’s supervisor, Feliciano brought with him his wife Mia who is a nurse by profession with extensive clinical background and patient care experience in the US.
Feliciano was among the top officials deployed by President Rodrigo Duterte to Bacolod in the last week of August after Leonardia wrote a letter appealing for assistance in view of the COVID-19 crisis in the City.
Leonardia said Feliciano and his wife were originally scheduled to oversee the Bacolod EOC-TF for September only, but the couple decided to stay until end of October to continue advising, coaching and guiding the task force until such time it can “competently and confidently” stand on its own.
In appreciation of their work and contribution to Bacolod City in its COVID fight, Leonardia declared them as the “First Adopted Couple” of Bacolod in its 82 years of cityhood.
The mayor signed Executive Order No. 69 to acknowledge the couple’s “committed effort” and “tireless service” to Bacolod.
Aside from the couple, the four OPAPP personnel were also given plaques of appreciation by the City for their invaluable contribution to Bacolod in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. (With a report from Bacolod PIO)
