With the expected expansion of immunization in the coming months, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Union of the Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP) are working closely with 17 public and private higher education institutions (HEIs) to establish additional vaccination centers inside school properties.
In a statement on Friday, April 9, the 17 HEIs that offered their facilities to serve as vaccination sites of local government units are:
*Our Lady of Fatima University-Valenzuela
*Manila Central University
*University of Perpetual Help System Dalta-Las Piñas Campus
*De La Salle University-Dasmariñas
*St. Louis University
*Central Philippine University
*West Visayas State University
*Our Lady of Fatima University-San Fernando, Pampanga
*University of Baguio
*Benguet State University
*University of Cebu
*University of Perpetual Help-Dr. Jose G. Tamayo Medical University
*Our Lady of Fatima University-Quezon City
*De La Salle Medical and Health Sciences Institute
*Notre Dame Kidapawan College
*North Valley College Foundation
*Cotabato Medical Foundation
CHED and ULAP said they are working together for "resiliency, rehabilitation, and national recovery" by jointly pursuing what they call "complementary and holistic strategies that would encourage collaboration" among LGUs and HEIs in their respective localities.
CHED Chairman J. Prospero E. De Vera III and ULAP national president Gov. Dakila E. Cua signed the Statement of Bayanihan in responding to the call for a whole-of-nation approach in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
De Vera said that more HEIs have signified interest to serve as vaccination sites.
Many of these HEIs have been approved to conduct limited face-to-face classes in their medical and allied health programs as approved by the President last January 2021.
"These HEIs have been inspected by the CHED, the local IATF, and LGUs so we are sure that the proper health protocols, retrofitting of facilities, and the requirements for safety are already being implemented by these universities. These HEIs also have big facilities like gymnasiums that can be used for vaccination. They have the necessary health personnel who can assist in the vaccination drive," De Vera said.
"There is an urgency to proceed with this initiative because as we move from A1 to A4 and then to B1, the number of people that we need to vaccinate are going to be bigger in number especially when we go to indigents and essential workers. Our existing vaccination centers under the local government should expand to cover these groups and HEI facilities can be tapped," he added.