A multi-sectoral initiative was launched in Quezon City on Monday (June 21) that is expected to increase public uptake on the national vaccination program and speed up the inoculation of the city’s residents.
This pioneering effort was formalized through a memorandum of cooperation signed between the Quezon City government, Diocese of Novaliches, Far Eastern University-Nicanor Reyes Medical Foundation (FEU-NRMF), and UNILAB.
National Task Force against COVID 19 chief implementer and vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. commended those who spearheaded the novel undertaking, as he highlighted the “greater synergy” among the city’s stakeholders.
“The greater synergy that we are witnessing now among stakeholders in Quezon City is not just a demonstration of the Filipino people’s bayanihan spirit, but also a desire to find more effective and innovative ways to address the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Galvez said.
Under the memorandum of cooperation, the Diocese of Novaliches has allowed its parishes to be used as vaccination sites, and committed to actively participate in the city government’s information and education campaign to promote the benefits of getting the jab.
According to Vicar General for Pastoral Affairs of the Diocese of Novaliches Rev. Fr. Antonio Labiao Jr., the Diocese has already opened three of its parishes — Cathedral Shrine of the Good Shepherd Parish, San Bartolome Parish, and Pagkabuhay Parish — as vaccination sites for parishioners, residents, and nearby communities.
Labiao said that around 4,000 individuals from priority groups A1 (healthcare workers), A2 (senior citizens), A3 (persons with comorbidities), and A4 (economic frontliners) have been vaccinated in their parishes since the churches-cum-vaccination sites opened last April 15.
The parish, he said, is confident that it will be able to increase its vaccination rate as more vaccines are expected to arrive in the country.
The vicar also relayed the commitment of the Diocese to address vaccine hesitancy among the people, saying, “We will continue to announce and encourage people to take the vaccine.”
Meanwhile, FEU-NRMF COO Juan Enrique Reyes vowed to continue working with the government in addressing the challenges caused by the pandemic.
“We believe that it would take the cooperation of both public and private sectors to end this pandemic,” Reyes said.
FEU-NRMF has been a partner of the Quezon City government’s vaccine rollout, providing manpower and storage facilities as well as serving as a referral hospital for vaccinated individuals experiencing adverse effects following immunization (AEFI).
Unilab, represented by its Vice President for Vaccine Initiative Manuel Montinola, also emphasized the importance of synergy and cooperation among all sectors of society in battling the pandemic.
The company has been helping to establish vaccination sites in different parishes across the city by providing supplies, logistics services, and other resources to medical professionals and volunteers.
The Most Rev. Bishop Roberto Gaa is optimistic that this kind of cooperation “can push forward the vaccination program” not only in the city but throughout the country.
Labiao said they envision the Diocese “to become the social facilitator to put together all the efforts for the sake of communities and the city.”
Likewise, they hope to make the cooperation “a template for other dioceses, LGUs, and partners that can be replicated in different areas in the country.”
All vaccines to be deployed immediately
Meanwhile, Galvez said the government remains committed “to provide all LGUs [local government units] the needed vaccines to achieve population protection in every region.”
This is a response to reports that some LGUs outside the NCR+8 (Metro Cebu, Metro Davao, Bulacan, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Pampanga, and Rizal) are complaining about the limited number of vaccine doses deployed in their cities and provinces.
The vaccine czar explained that the National Vaccination Operation Center maintains a dashboard to monitor vaccine deployment and usage of local government units across the country.
He said that supplies are monitored on a daily basis to ensure that those LGUs that “finish” their supplies will be given priority in the next batch of deployment.
“Our priority to contain the disease and protect the most vulnerable individuals and communities is still the same,” Galvez stressed.
He said more than three million vaccine doses are arriving in the country this June, 1.5 million doses of which will come from Sinovac, 250,000 doses from Moderna, and more than two million doses from Astrazeneca which will come from the COVAX facility.
Galvez said these vaccines will be deployed immediately to identified provinces and LGUs nationwide that are running low on supplies, particularly those in high-risk areas.
As of June 17, 11,677,550 doses out of the 14,205,870 doses in the government’s supply inventory have been deployed nationwide. (NTF) – jlo
