Bong Go calls on Filipinos to participate in the three-day nat'l vaccination drive

Chair of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography Christopher "Bong" Go encouraged all eligible Filipinos to get their free COVID-19 shots during the National Vaccination Days to help the government achieve its goal of inoculating an additional 9 million individuals across the country by the start of December.

The three-day event dubbed "Bayanihan, Bakunahan" runs from November 29 to December 1. It is part of the government's whole-of-nation approach to achieve population protection or immunization of at least 50% of the total population.

To aid the success of the event, the government declared November 29 and December 1 as 'special working days' while November 30 will remain a regular holiday to commemorate the birth anniversary of Andres Bonifacio. All government and private sector workers getting vaccinated during the aforesaid period will not be considered absent, provided they present proof of vaccination to their employers, pursuant to Proclamation No. 1253.

"Kapag nabakunahan na ang lahat na eligible at naabot na natin ang population protection leading to herd immunity, bababa ang bilang ng mga kaso ng nagkakasakit. Ibig sabihin, unti-unti tayong babalik sa ating normal na pamumuhay," explained Go.

"Tandaan natin na habang pinoproteksyunan natin ang buhay ng mga Pilipino ay sinisikap din nating lutasin ang mga isyu ng kahirapan at kagutuman na dulot ng pandemya. Kapag protektado ang komunidad gamit ang bakuna, mas makakapagtrabaho ang maraming Pilipino at sisigla muli ang kabuhayan ng lahat," he added.

The national vaccination program recently reached two new milestones after the government successfully administered over one million doses of COVID-19 vaccines in a single day last November 4 and exceeded the supply target of 100 million doses.

As of November 27, the government has administered over 81 million doses. Nearly 45.3 million individuals have received their first dose while 35.6 million Filipinos are fully vaccinated. Of the latter figure, a total of 174,536 have received their booster shots.

In line with these developments, President Rodrigo Duterte directed all local government units early in November to raise their weekly vaccination target to five million doses.

To support the COVID-19 response, the senator had earlier appealed to the government to further expand the national vaccination program. To boost vaccine confidence, he also called on the public and private sectors to offer incentives and backed a proposal by the Metro Manila Development Authority to ease certain COVID-19 Guidelines for fully vaccinated Filipinos.

More recently, Go appealed for the government to give fully vaccinated members of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) cash incentives, on top of what they have already receive under the law, to improve the vaccine coverage among the lowest income groups.

"Sa ating hangaring malampasan ang pandemya, sinisiguro ng gobyernong may tunay na malasakit na walang Pilipinong maiiwan sa ating muling pagbangon. Ito ang dahilan kung bakit napaka-importante na magpabakuna upang maproteksyunan ang buong populasyon," stressed Go.

"Kaya naman hindi katanggap-tanggap na 16 percent lang ang bakunado sa mga miyembro ng 4Ps. Bagama't di natin sila mapilit, 'wag tayong tumigil sa pag-engganyo sa kanila. Sa dagdag ayuda na ito, hindi lang natin sila matutulungan sa kabuhayan, maliligtas pa natin ang buhay nila at mapapabilis ang pagbalik nila sa normal na pamumuhay," he added.

Meanwhile, Go called on everyone to remain disciplined, vigilant and cooperative in order to ensure that the pandemic response efforts remain on track amid emerging threats of new variants of COVID-19.

"Patuloy tayong mag-ingat, magbayanihan, at magmalasakit sa isa't isa upang malampasan ang pandemya bilang isang mas matatag na bansa. Huwag po muna tayo magkumpyansa dahil hindi pa tapos ang laban. Ang inyong pakikiisa ay makapagliligtas ng buhay ng kapwa nating Pilipino," Go reminded.