More vaccinators, encoders needed for 3-day national vaccination drive —League of Provinces

The local government units (LGUs) are in need of more vaccinators and encoders for the National Vaccination Day ‘Bayanihan, Bakunahan’ on November 29 to December 1, the League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP) said on Wednesday.

In an interview with Super Radyo dzBB, LPP President and Marinduque Governor Presbitero Velasco Jr. said they have been asking the help of the Department of Health (DOH) and the private sector to supply them with more volunteers for the three-day vaccination drive which eyes 5 million jabs per day or a total of 15 million jabs.

“Kaya po maganda ‘yung pangalan, ‘Bayanihan, Bakunahan’ so talaga po pati private sector ay kinakalampag na rin po namin para makatulong. Alam niyo naman po na minsan kulang din ‘yung mga ating tumutulong sa gobyerno. ‘Yan pong sa government employees ay hindi karamihan minsan sa mga provincial or city health offices eh kapag ganitong malakihan, talagang tulong tulong po,” he said.

(That’s why the name ‘Bayanihan, Bakunahan’ is good because we now even rattle the private sector for help. Sometimes, there are few volunteers in the government and the employees do not all work for the provincial or city health offices. With a campaign as huge as this, everyone is helping.)

Velasco said that they have set up more vaccination teams for the vaccination drive, noting, “‘Yan po ang kailangan eh kasi kung wala namang tuturok ay siyempre mahirap magparami ng babakunahan (That’s what we need because it's hard to get vaccinees if there are no vaccinators.)"

He said that the LGUs are also in constant communication with the national government in identifying their needs for the campaign such as the vaccine supply and ultra low storage facilities.

Further, Velasco also said that the LGUs will implement different strategies to encourage more people to get inoculated such as providing them food and vehicle service to the vaccination sites.

“Maganda po ‘yung istratehiya, talaga po namang dapat bigyan ng pa-meryenda o pakainin dahil nga minsan po ay marami din ‘yung nakapila at kawawa naman. Pero ‘yun nga ho, gumagawa naman po kami ng mga iba’t ibang istratehiya at ‘yun na nga ho, ‘yung mga susunduin, kailangan sunduin,” he said.

(We have a good strategy—we really need to give snacks or food to the vaccinees because sometimes, the line is long and we pity them. We are making more strategies such as providing vehicle service to those who need to be fetched).

“Sinabihan naman po natin na alagaan ‘yung mga tao kasi kapag nalaman nila na nagkakagutom ay lalo pang hindi pupunta ‘yung iba. Meron naman pong mga pondo ‘yan sa Disaster Risk Reduction Management,” he added.

According to Velasco, the Marinduque government has supplied chariots for those who are living far from the vaccination sites.

President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday asked LGUs to provide meals to their constituents who will get vaccinated against COVID-19,  pledging to pay for the bill.

“I am authorizing all governors and mayors gumastos na lang kayo ng pera papalitan ko lang ‘yan balang araw. Pakainin ninyo na lang sila. Pakainin ka . . . gutom ka, kawawa naman yung Pilipino. Really, you just give me the bill and I will try to pay it if I have the money,” Duterte said in his weekly Talk to the People briefing late Tuesday.

(I am authorizing all governors and mayors to spend money, I will just pay one day. Just feed them. Feed those who are hungry. Really, you just give me the bill and I will try to pay it if I have the money.)

The government is aiming to vaccinate 70% of the entire population by the end of the year. As of Monday, DOH said that about 33.3 million individuals or 39% of the eligible population in the country are fully vaccinated against the COVID-19. —KG, GMA News