ILOILO CITY – Four major business groups have appealed to the national government for additional allocation of vaccines against coronavirus disease (COVID-19) both for residents of Iloilo City and Iloilo province.
The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industries (PCCI-Iloilo) appealed to Secretary Francisco Duque III of the Department of Health (DOH) and Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. of the Inter-Agency Task Force for COVID-19 after Western Visayas has been classified as high-risk areas with continuous surge of cases.
“Iloilo City and Iloilo Province serve as the center of economic and political activities in Western Visayas region. The critical role in balancing the health and economic well-being of the region cannot be overemphasized,” emphasized PCCI in a statement signed by its President Joebert Peñaflorida and Chairperson Sandra Sarabia-Gomez.
“This public health situation directly impacts out local economy and the business sector is suffering from the effects of strict quarantine protocols. All sectors have been working with the city and provincial governments to curb the spread of infection and we look forward to a more intensive vaccination drive in the coming weeks,” said Terence Uygongco, vice chairperson of the Iloilo Business Club (IBC).
“While we have started the vaccination activities, there is an urgent need prioritize more deliveries of vaccine to Iloilo given that the recent surge of positive cases,” echoed Angel Leon Jr., the chairperson of the Iloilo Economic Development Foundation Inc. (ILED).
The Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Iloilo Inc. (FCCCII) also reiterated the need for the national government to allocate more vaccines to stop the spread of COVID-19.