Second National Communications Another adaptation mechanism was done by the Governor himself which formed the Climate change Unit reporting to him, which was the one that led in the first ever National conference on climate change adaptation (NCCCA) in 2008 that was held in Albay. Together with policy and ordinances drafted, this also had a declaration that would espouse adaptation as a response to climate change impacts. Box 2: Dengue cases in Bicol double Anti-dengue summit held in Visayas Inquirer First Posted 03:47:00 08/06/2007 Filed Under: Diseases DARAGA, ALBAY -- The number of dengue cases have more than doubled in the region, increasing by 123 percent since last year, records from the Department of Health in Bicol here show. The number of dengue cases recorded from January to July last year totaled 227. Cases had shot up to a total of 506 in the same period this year. The highest number of cases recorded in Bicol from January to July 2007 was in the province of Camarines Sur, with a total of 290 dengue victims. Albay also registered 123 cases in the same period. A dengue outbreak was also declared in Matnog, Sorsogon just last month. “The increase in dengue cases could be due to a number of reasons. The typhoons last year plus the onset of the rainy season this year resulted in more stagnant bodies of water and thus, more breeding places for mosquitoes,” DoH Region V epidemiologist Aurora Teresa Daluro said. “The proximity of possible victims is also a factor because dengue is transmitted. The higher the population and the denser the area, the higher the number of cases,” Daluro added. However, she pointed out that despite the distinct rise in dengue cases, the overall situation in Bicol has yet to reach epidemic proportions. As a response to the swine flu epidemic, the PHO together with the government came up with a five point proactive response, similar to that which they used for the SARS outbreak in the earlier years (Box 1). This response was seen to lessen the potential effects of the swine flu as Albay was considered a tourist destination area due to the presence of Mayon volcano. Also it was noted by the governor that there were quite a number of overseas workers who hailed from the US and Canada who he expected to be visiting, which places reported the presence of confined swine flu cases. Another adaptation mechanism was the formation of the Albay Public safety and emergency management office (APSEMO) which is a Disaster response unit with the disaster risk reduction framework in mind. It is the only functional local government response unit of its kind which focuses on disaster risk management in a locality or province. As the province moves forward, it will be interesting to note how the health component will be iterated with the different adaptation mechanisms that are being established. Available from http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/region s/view/2007080680807/Dengue_cases_in_Bicol_double 4.2 Bohol There are a total of 1,137,268 Boholanos or Bol-anon, as the residents of Bohol call themselves (Census 2000). Bohol has 209,588 households with an average household size of 5.41 persons, significantly higher than the national average of 4.99. The annual growth rate is 2.92%, higher than the national growth rate of 2.36%. With this growth rate, Bohol's population will double in 24 years. Life expectancy at birth is estimated at 68.19 for the males and 72.93 for the females for the period 2000-2005. 21