"We will survive.”
President Duterte is brimming with confidence about the good results of the government's pandemic response, particularly the vaccination, by the end of the year to guarantee the nation's survival.
As the number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in the country soared past the half million mark, the President pledged the government will quickly deliver the coronavirus vaccines to the recipients "to make them healthy".
The government has prepared for the swift and orderly implementation of the country's vaccination program, including the storage, transport and distribution of vaccines to the beneficiaries across the country. The first shipment of the vaccine is expected to arrive in the country this month
"Eventually we will solve all the problems connected with this. We will survive," the President said during a televised address Monday, Feb. 8, while he and other officials tackled the country’s vaccination plan.
"And by the end of the --- the year, mukhang medyo na tayong --- hindi naman pinakamaganda, but magandang resulta sa pagod natin (And by the end of the year, it looks like we will get, not necessarily the best, but good results of our hard work)," he said.
With a promise to ensure the swift and orderly immunization drive, the President cautioned government personnel against getting in the way of the "smooth flow" of the vital medical supplies. He has already restricted the customs and airport personnel from opening the medical shipment to prevent any delay in the delivery of the supply.
Public school buildings could be tapped as alternative vaccination sites, according to the President. Military and police camps will also be used as vaccination centers.
"I do not see any --- any objectionable thing there tutal pang-injection man lang, wala naman nagkasakit. Well, maybe one or two or three, mga mag-slip (I do not see any objectionable ting there. Besides, it's only injection. No one will fall sick. Well, maybe one, two or three might slip)," he said about the use of school buildings.
"But fundamentally it is really giving people the shots to make them healthy," he said.
The government aims to give free inoculations to around 70 million Filipinos to attain herd immunity. The priority vaccine beneficiaries will be medical fronliners, seniors, the poor and vulnerable citizens, and essential workforce.
The President has also reminded the police and military to ensure peace and order when the immunization drive begins.
"The police and the military should help discipline the --- there should be in the rural areas na kulang ‘yung pulis, especially ‘yung mga sitio-sitio na, it would be nice to see the military also helping out," he said.
He said police personnel must also be deployed to secure the swift and safe transport of the vaccine supply to storage facilities and their final places of destination.
He also made an appeal to the the local communist party not to "intercept" the vaccine supply, saying the drugs must be "transported freely and safely" to the people. He said communists should observe the "rules of humanity" as the vaccines are meant to protect people from the virus.
"It’s abhorrent but you can redeem it by just seeing to it that there is a fair atmosphere or environment obtaining in the places, where you are, kayo, at nandiyan ‘yung mga taga gobyerno," he said.