Members of the National Task Force against COVID-19 expressed satisfaction with the vaccine rollout plan of the City of Parañaque, citing the strong leadership of Mayor Edwin L. Olivarez and the scientific basis of the plan.
During a visit at the Parañaque City Hall on February 5, the Coordinated Operations to Defeat Pandemic (CODE) Team headed by Secretary Carlito Galvez, the country’s chief COVID-19 response implementer and vaccine czar, cited the city’s well-prepared and comprehensive vaccination plan.
“I want to congratulate the City of Parañaque for your strong leadership, which is essential in the development of such a comprehensive program,” Galvez said during the visit.
Olivarez, for his part, thanked the national government for its continuing support to the city’s efforts to fight COVID-19.
“We are lucky to have the full support of people like Secretary Galvez and the NTF, as well as the cooperation of our stakeholders, especially the logistics companies based in Parañaque who have pledged their full cooperation to our rollout program,” he said.
Aside from its proximity to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Parañaque is also home to many pharmaceutical companies like Zuellig, Johnson & Johnson, and logistics companies like Air21.
Dr. Paz Corrales, DOH assistant regional director for Metro Manila, described the Parañaque plan as “excellent,” and noted that the city has a very capable team to implement the plan headed by Dr. Olga Virtusio, the city’s health officer.
During the presentation, Dr. Virtusio said the city is targeting to inoculate around 60 percent of its population of more than 770,000 residents.
Vurtusio said priority will be given to healthcare workers, senior citizens, indigent residents, uniformed personnel, and persons with co-morbidities, and then the general population.
She said they have enlisted the support of a major Ayala mall, as well as eight private hospitals, a church and a school campus to serve as vaccination centers in addition to the city’s two public hospitals – Ospital ng Parañaque I and Ospital ng Parañaque II.
Secretary Galvez said the country expects to receive the first batch of vaccines by the first and second quarters of the year, a major accomplishment given that some 80 percent of the vaccines available in the global market have already been purchased by rich nations.