By NG Seruela
The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) approved the inclusion of governors and city and municipal mayors under the A1.5 priority group in the COVID-19 vaccination program.
In the Palace press briefing on Monday (May 17), Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque announced that under the IATF Resolution No.115-B, the governors and city and municipal mayors were transferred from A4 category to A1.5 “regardless of the risk classification of their respective local government units (LGUs).”
“Napagkasunduan ng IATF na ang mga gobernador at mga mayor ay mapapabilang na rin sa Priority A1.5. Ito ang nilalaman ng IATF Resolution No. 115-B. Sa mayors at governors, magpabakuna na rin po tayo.”
Sec. Roque supported the transfer of categories since the LGU leaders are the “instrument” in the nation’s fight against COVID-19.
“Ang mga mayor at gobernador ang ating instrumento dito sa paglaban natin sa COVID-19. They may not be doctors, but they’re equally frontliners dahil ang lahat ng estratehiya natin ay [sila] ang humaharap.”
With the inclusion of the local leaders under the A1.5 category, they will be vaccinated after the medical frontliners. The Philippines has 1,634 provincial governors and city and municipal mayors.-rir
