DAVAO CITY - The city mayor of Kidapawan on Monday has expressed his disappointment over the vaccine allocations and asks that the city be given their share.
"Asa na ang bakuna? (Where are the vaccines?)" Kidapawan Mayor Joseph Evangelista said in a video message on Monday (June 14).
"To whom it may concern, sakit isip mayor mabasa nato sa mga newspaper ubang local government units, ilabi na ang nasa National Capital Region ang ginabakunahan na nila eligible population A4. Ang Kidapawan A2 pa (It pains me, as a mayor, to read in newspapers that other local government units, especially those in the National Capital Region are starting to vaccinate those under the A4 category. Kidapawan City is still vaccinating those who are in A2 category)," Evangelista said.
Evangelista said the city has complied with all the conditions including the putting up of vaccination hubs and hiring of doctors and nurses, yet the vaccine supply in the city is still lacking.
"Diba giingon ninyo sa amoa sa una, magbutang mog vaccination hub, nagbutang ang city lima ka hub. Mag-hire mo doctor, nag-hire tag daghang doctor, nurses, medtechs. Karon, asa ang bakuna? (You told us before to put a vaccination hub, the city built five hubs. To hire doctors, we hired so many doctors, nurses, medical technologists. Now, where are the vaccines?)" Evangelista said.
He said the city uses its "meager resources" to provide salary for the hired front liners every month.
"Please, what I am asking for is just give us our share, equitable share," he said.
"Hulaton pa diay nato nga daghang mangamatay? (Should we wait for the number of deaths to shoot up first?)" Evangelista said.
As of Monday, Kidapawan City has recorded eight new cases and nine recoveries bringing the total number of active cases in the city to 170. Kidapawan has so far recorded a total of 756 confirmed cases, 553 recoveries, and 33 deaths.
Evangelista said 50% of all the active cases involved social gatherings including weddings, birthdays, baptisms, funerals, beach activities, and reunions.
The occupancy rate of Kidapawan City's COVID-19 isolation facilities is at 79%. Evangelista said they will also utilize the Kidapawan City Pilot Elementary School as an additional isolation facility to be fully operational within the week.