More than 300 media men from the People’s Television Network (PTV) and other state-run media stations in the Philippines were administered with their first dose of vaccine against COVID-19 on Friday (June 25).
“The media people are so exposed and they need to be vaccinated. It’s so important when media personalities [get vaccinated]. It gives [people] the confidence to get vaccinated as well,” the National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19 Deputy Chief Implementer Secretary Vince Dizon said during his visit at the PTV Studio A which served as the network’s vaccination site.
The vaccine rollout for PTV employees was in cooperation with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.
According to PTV General Manager Kat De Castro, the employees’ vaccination against COVID-19 is crucial as the network is taking the lead for President Rodrigo Duterte’s final State of the Nation Address, as well as covering all the government programs against COVID-19 pandemic.
“Alam natin na ang PTV, tayo ang frontliner ng government media. Kapag mayroong mga aktibidades ang ating gobyerno, tayo ang laging nandoon. Dahil ako ang general manager ng network, gusto ko [ay] protektado ang ating mga empleyado,” she added.
De Castro, as well as Undersecretary Rocky Ignacio, extended their gratitude to the government for giving media the priority in the national vaccination campaign.
“Ito ay mas lalo pang magpapatatag sa atin na magbigay at ipagpatuloy ang pag-se-serbisyo sa mga tao. At least, hindi na rin tayo kakabahan kapag tayo ay lumalabas para gampanan ang ating trabaho,” Ignacio said.
Aside from the 300 PTV employees who were part of the vaccination program, about 200 employees received jabs from their respective local government units.
The network’s staff and employees belong to the A4 priority group of the vaccination program.
Some 40 employees from the Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation (IBC) also got inoculated with their COVID-19 vaccine on Friday. – PTV News / CF-rir
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