Speaker Lord Allan Velasco on Monday, Nov. 8 lauded government’s mass vaccination strategy triggering lower infection rate not only in Metro Manila but in the entire country.
Addressing employees of the House of Representatives during the first flag raising ceremony in nearly eight months, Velasco proudly stated that the current COVID-19 situation in the country has “improved remarkably” compared to previous months.
Velasco credited government’s “aggressive vaccination rollout” for the current public health situation.
“The skies are bluer after the storm. The light brighter after going through a dark tunnel. And even if we are not officially ‘out of the woods’ yet and may have to live with COVID-19 for quite a while, it would seem that the government strategy of aggressive mass vaccination has dramatically brought down the number of mortalities and severe and critical cases of COVID in the country,” the House official said.
Velasco said that because of the better public health situation in the country, the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases or IATF has approved the de-escalation of the National Capital Region to Alert Level 2 from Alert Level 3 starting last November 5.
However, Velasco said there should be no room for laxity despite declining COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.
He urged the public to continue observing health protocols set by health experts especially as more businesses start to reopen and more citizens are allowed to go out.
Also during the event, Velasco announced the official rollout of the HousePass, an innovative system in ensuring the health, safety and security of House members, employees and visitors through the use of QR codes for contact tracing through health declaration forms, entry log-ins and antigen testing.
“We want to ensure that we can all work in a safe and healthy environment,” Velasco said.
The HousePass system, he said, is only part of a wide-ranging technological reform at the House.
“As Speaker of the House at this time of great change in our lives, it is my dream to bequeath these reforms to our House Members, Secretariat officials, and staff so that we all better adapt to the new normal working conditions,” Velasco said.
Velasco pointed out that the House started these innovations through the overhaul of its information technology organization and the implementation of the CongVax program, which enabled the chamber to have safe and efficient vaccinations.
He said foremost among the high-tech improvements is the new HRep ID, which will give members and workers access through the gates and will have a built-in e-wallet through Paymaya.
“It remains an Identification Card but with advanced security features that opens the speedgates found in our building lobbies and it also symbolizes how the House of Representatives is also leading the way in embracing the new digital economy,” Velasco said.