Taguig City is ready to vaccinate at least 5,000 individuals daily and is just waiting for the go signal to start with the priority group A4 (essential workers).
Mayor Lino Cayetano said Saturday the local government is committed “to a fast and massive vaccination rollout”.
“Kahit nagro-roll out na tayo sa mga manggawa, kahit ngayon ho 5,000 a day, kaya na ho natin. Hindi natin pababayaan. May special lanes pa rin ang mga seniors at ang may comorbidity (Even if we are already rolling out vaccination for our workers, we are ready to vaccinate around 5,000 daily. We will still give special lanes for senior citizens and those with comorbidities),” he said during the media briefing at the symbolic vaccination of essential workers at the Lakeshore Vaccine Training and Information Center.
Cayetano said vaccination will ensure that life and livelihood will go on.
“Kung ang hanap po natin buhay para maligtas tayo o ang hanap natin hanapbuhay para makapagtrabaho tayo, ang isa sa mga pinaka-importante nating gawin ay magbakuna (If we looking at a longer life or we seek for a livelihood, the most important thing to do, is to get vaccinated),” he said.
“Hindi na po debate ang buhay o hanapbuhay. Pareho ho yang importante sa pagbabakuna (Life or livelihood is no longer a debate. They are both important in the vaccination drive).”
National Task Force Against Covid-19 Deputy Chief Implementer and testing czar Secretary Vince Dizon said essential workers face a high risk of exposure to Covid-19 infection.
“The government, through vaccine czar Sec. Carlito Galvez Jr. is doing its best to make sure that the Philippines will get enough supplies of coronavirus vaccines, to protect the Filipino people against the dreaded disease,” he said.
Dizon also announced that the initial batch of 15,000 doses of Russian-made Sputnik V vaccines, produced by Gamaleya Research Institute of Russia, will be arriving Saturday afternoon.
Taguig City, Manila, Muntinlupa, Makati, and Parañaque will get 3,000 doses each for the pilot rollout.
The remaining 485,000 doses of the Sputnik V vaccine will arrive next week.
The training for vaccine handling and management of other cities in the National Capital Region is ongoing, added Dizon.
On Labor Day, the government paid tribute to workers by holding simultaneous symbolic vaccinations for the essential workers.
The Department of Labor and Employment prepared the master list of the vaccine recipients to ensure equitable representation.
“Thank you for this symbolic but very sentimental and important day Sec. [Dizon] and to the good people at the Department of Labor and Employment and also, of course, sa mahal nating Pangulo na mahal ang ating manggagawang Pilipino (to our beloved President who loves our essential Filipino workers),” Cayetano said.
Cayetano also emphasized the impact of the symbolic vaccination, an indication that no one is left behind in these trying times.
“Ang dami nating matutulungan (We can help more people) once we roll out the vaccination of A4 and we will diligently continue to roll out for A2 (senior citizens) and A3 (with comorbidities),” he added. (PNA)
