Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez explained why he got vaccinated even though the vaccines that arrived in the country were only intended for medical frontliners.
According to Mayor Romualdez, only 50 percent of medical frontliners in Tacloban wanted to be vaccinated. He got the shot to show that nothing bad will happen to a person who receives the vaccine.
After he passed the screening and assessment performed by City Health Officer Dr. Gloria Fabrigas, the Tacloban local chief was immediately vaccinated.
“Because everyone was scared and everyone was waiting for me. So I did it to lead my people out of fear. And I’m glad they responded positively. Never say that I did it to save myself before others. I did it to make the people see that it was okay to get the vaccine. I wanted our people to take it for protection, and so that the efforts of the national government will not be in vain.”
The official asserted that as a mayor, he is also a frontliner.
“I was also being true to myself and to what I said, that everything that hits us, hits me first. So, ako na lang ang gawing guinea pig n’yo (So, let me be your guinea pig).”
Mayor Romualdez shared that he did not feel any adverse effects after he received the first jab.
From the side of the Palace, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque disclosed that LGU officials such as the governors, mayors and barangay captains are among the priorities.
“Pero tama po kayo at pinag-aaralan naman po siguro iyan ng ating mga miyembro ng NITAG kasi mayroon talagang mga taong frontliners within government service na hindi ‘health’ at kasama po iyong opisina namin ‘no dahil we provide information at this critical time of a pandemic (But you are right and this is being considered by the NITAG members because there are really frontliners within government service who do not belong to ‘health’ and our office is included because we provide information at this critical time of a pandemic.)”
Meanwhile, medical frontliners continue to be inoculated in Tacloban City.
Among those who have been vaccinated are those working in pre standing dialysis centers, medical and dental clinics, CAAP, TACRU, Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams including their Punong Barangays (head barangays), the city’s frontline health workers, particularly personnel of the temporary treatment and monitoring facilities through the City Social Welfare and Development Office (Camp Managers), public safety, and command center led by the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.
According to the data from the City Information Office, out of 3,164 allocations in the city about 1,600 are meant for public and private frontliners from yesterday until today- Ryan Lesigues
