Garbo wants fast vax for SME owners, employees

MABALACAT CITY-Mayor Crisostomo Garbo wants faster inoculation for owners and employees of small to mediumscale enterprises (SMEs) in the city.

“Maraming na po ang mga programa na ating inilunsad upang mailapit sa mga mamamayan ang mga supply ng bakuna laban sa Covid-19. Ang pagbabakuna sa ating mga SMEs, partikular sa mga may-ari ng mga barberya, sari-sari stores, vulcanizing shops, at marami pang iba, ay kinakitaan din natin ng pagpapahalaga,” Garbo said.

“Kung noon ay nababalitaan lang natin ang COVID-19 sa mga karatigrehiyon, ngayon ay nasa komunidad na natin ito o maaaring nasa tahanan na natin. Bahagi ng ating pag-iibayo sa ating vaccination program ay ang pagbabakuna sa mga immediate service providers sa ating mga pamayanan na malimit na puntahan ng ating mga kababayan,” he added.

According to the World Bank Organization, SMEs play a major role in most economies particularly in developing countries like the Philippines. Moreover, the sector takes up 90 percent of businesses and more than 50 percent of employment, worldwide.

Under the city program, SME-employers and workers can now receive their COVID19 jabs by submitting a copy of their Busin ess Permits or

Barangay Permits, and by enlisting the names of their workers, to be coordinated and forwarded to the City Planning and Development Office (CPDO) located at the Mabalacat City Hall.

The CPDO said that all establishments whose workforce have received complete Covid-19 doses will receive a safety certification from the city government.

For his part, Mayor Garbo said that the initiative is an added program to the compendium of Covid-19 Vaccination Programs

of the city aimed at protecting Mabalaqueños against the virus and make the government’s immunization program within people’s reach.

Aside from the six hubs at the SM City Clark main vaccination site, Mabalaqueños can now reach vaccination services through alternative venues such as the one at the city hall, and five satellite centers in Barangay Camachiles (with fast lanes for senior citizens), San Isidro, Duquit, Sapang Biabas, and Madapdap.

Meanwhile, the city government continues its inoculation of health care workers, senior citizens, workers in essential sectors, tourism and economic frontliners, transport groups, and the general population accruing 147, 617 vaccinated individuals in Mabalacat City, to dat e.