LGUs brace for arrival of more Covid-19 vaccines

MANILA

– All local government units (LGUs) are ready to work overtime to assist the national government in its ongoing vaccination campaign against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said on Wednesday.

"Ang ating LGUs po ay handang-handa. Tulad ng sinabi po ninyo bakuna yung problema pero habang dumarating po yung bakuna sisiguraduhin po natin mai-roll out yan, kahit po 24 hours in a day ay magtatrabaho po yung ating LGUs at ibang sangay ng aking ahensya (Our LGUs are more than ready. Like what you said the main problem now is supply.

However, once the vaccine supplies start to arrive, we will make sure that these will be rolled out even if it means that our LGUs and attached agencies will have to work 24 hours a day," Interior Secretary Eduardo Año told President Rodrigo R. Duterte during a televised Cabinet meeting.

He added that LGUs share the goal of the national government to vaccinate some 70 million Filipinos before the end of the year.

He said the DILG will also help in the information campaign on vaccination to ensure that Filipinos are well aware of the advantages and benefits of being inoculated.

"Ang pinakamagandang bakuna ay yung bakuna nasa harapan mo ngayon kasi kung mag-aantay ka pa ng ilang araw at tamaan ka ng Covid-19 eh baka hindi mo talaga abutan yung bakuna na yan so importante po talaga na kung ano yung nandiyan ay kunin na ng ating mga kababayan (The best vaccine now is the one being offered to you. There is a possibility that you will get infected with Covid19 while biding your time as you wait. So, what's important is that our countrymen take the one that is readily available)," Año said.

Meanwhile, he added that 77.19 percent or PHP17.6 billion of the PHP22.9-billion financial aid from the national government have so far been distributed to those affected by the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine in Metro Manila and four nearby provinces.

Año said they are now working hard to ensure that the remainder of the funds will be delivered to other beneficiaries ahead of the distribution deadline on May 15.