Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rolando Joselito D. Bautista has drummed up support for the national government’s vaccination program as he encouraged more than 4.3 million household-beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), more than 3 million indigent senior citizens who receive social pension, and other program recipients to get inoculated against coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
In a statement issued on Thursday, June 3, the DSWD chief said the beneficiaries of 4Ps and Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens (SPISC) program should "take advantage of the government’s vaccination efforts against the COVID-19."
4Ps recipients and other program beneficiaries belong to A5 priority sector in the country’s vaccination program.
Bautista vouched for the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines, citing that they have been approved by experts globally and locally.
He stressed the need for program recipients to receive the vaccines, saying that "getting vaccinated is the best protection to safeguard themselves and their families from contracting the coronavirus."
He assured the public that the agency will continue coordinating with and assisting the Department of Health (DOH) in cascading the necessary and relevant information regarding the government’s vaccination program.
"Through this effort, the program beneficiaries are provided with the right information to guide them in arriving at their informed decisions about the vaccination.”
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Bautista urged program beneficiaries to coordinate with their local health providers should they have questions about the inoculation program.
He even took the opportunity to remind them to always observe minimum health protocols such as wearing their face masks and face shields; sanitizing their hands; and practicing social distancing.
"The DSWD is one with the rest of the bureaucracy in the goal of mass vaccination for population protection.”