Agencies told to support three-day drive to vaccinate 15M vs COVID-19

by Alexis Romero – Philstar.com, 22 Nov 2021

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered all state agencies to support the national vaccination drive from Nov. 29 to Dec. 1, Malacañang said Monday, as it urged unvaccinated persons to avail of the jabs to protect their families from COVID-19.

The government seeks to inoculate 15 million persons across 16 regions outside Metro Manila during the three-day “Bayanihan Bakunahan” project to meet its target of vaccinating at least half of the Philippines’ population this year.

The National Vaccination Operations Center secretariat previously said some 170,000 to 200,000 vaccinators would be mobilized in about 11,000 vaccination sites.

“The president has directed all government agencies and instrumentalities to extend all possible support to the ‘Bayanihan Bakunahan’ program spearheaded by the Department of Health and the Department of (the) Interior and Local Government,” acting presidential spokesman Karlo Nograles said in a statement.

“We urge our unvaccinated kababayans to participate in the ‘Bayanihan Bakunahan’ project so that they can provide themselves and their families with the protection and peace of mind that vaccines provide its recipients,” he added.

Nograles said the “Bayanihan Bakunahan” project aims to significantly increase the number of inoculated persons in the country as evidence has shown that increased vaccination rates have contributed to the reduction of active COVID-19 cases and the drop in daily new infections.

He thanked those who are organizing the personnel and resources to be mobilized during the three-day event and the frontliners “who will do their best to contribute to the success of this initiative.”

“Together, we can get the jabs done; together, we can beat COVID,” Nograles said.

The second day of the vaccination drive will coincide with the birth anniversary of national hero Andres Bonifacio, a regular holiday. Last week, Nograles said Nov. 29 and Dec. 1 would be special working days.

About 32.9 million Filipinos are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19.