A throng of people hoping to get vaccinated before the reimposition of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Metro Manila crammed into several vaccination sites in Caloocan City Wednesday.
A national government guideline stating that the issuance of quarantine passes must be "preferably to a person that is fully vaccinated" left many in the city cramming into vaccination centers ahead of Friday's lockdown.
Outside a vaccination site in barangay Bagong Silang, scores of people lined up as early as midnight, desperate to get a jab, which remains limited due to lack of supply.
But not all were able to receive at least a dose as only the first 500 people in line were accommodated even if they were in the area as early as they could.
"500 slots po ang post ni Mayor. Kasali kami doon sa bilang, tapos sasabihin nyo wala ng vaccine. 1 a.m. kami pumila tapos ganoon lang aabutin namin. Tinitiis namin ang lamig at ulan para lang makapagbakuna (Mayor Oca Malapitan said 500 slots would be available. We thought we were included in the count. We fell in line by 1 a.m. but we ended up not getting vaccinated. We even endured the cold weather and the rain)," Karen Genon lamented in a Facebook post.
Long lines of people at inoculation sites in different parts of Metro Manila have become a common sight in recent days. But following the announcement of the national government's guidelines, this only worsened.
In photos and videos posted on Facebook, some residents had to sit on the streets while waiting, perhaps in vain, to be accepted for vaccination.
"Ang lahat umaasa na mabakunahan, ngunit paano pa sila mabakunahan kung hanggang 500 slots lang? (Everybody hoped to get vaccinated, but how could they if there were only 500 slots?)" asked Marinel Ombrog.
"Palakasan ang sistema, kapag may kakilala pasok agad... Maging patas kayo, yung iba halos langawin na doon tapos mauubusan ng stub. (There's a kind of system in the area which allows people who know the organizers to cut in line. Please be fair. Some people were not able to get a vaccine stub)," claimed Gilbert Yoshinoya, who also cursed at the organizers of the program due to his disappointment.
In the early days of the country's vaccination program, inoculation sites in Caloocan City were almost empty due to brand hesitancy. It only took people less than an hour, including falling in line, to get vaccinated.
But today's situation is a stark contrast as residents are racing against one another to get a jab, regardless of the brand.