Manila Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso on Tuesday, Nov. 9, appealed anew to the national government to prioritize the roll-out of vaccines instead of implementing the mandatory use of face shields in public areas.
“We’ve been campaigning that vaccination is the solution. More than face shield, it’s the vaccine,” Domagoso said in an interview with ANC.
The Manila mayor also urged the government should purchase science-based medicines that can help survive critical and severe COVID patients should also be their priority.
“Sabi ko nga, bumili kayo ng Tocilizumab, hindi face shield kasi yung Tocilizumab, Remdesivir -- ngayon, may binili pa kaming bago, Molnupiravir, --- na nakatutulong masurvive ang COVID patient under severe and critical conditions (I told you, buy Tocilizumab, it's not a face shield because it's Tocilizumab, Remdesivir -- Today, we have purchased a new one, Molnupiravir, -- which helps COVID patients survive under severe and critical conditions),” he said.
The City of Manila has already vaccinated 132 percent of its population with first dose, while 122 percent for second dose, Domagoso noted.
“Lagpas-lagpas doon sa 70 percent at population namin kasi open policy kami. (More than 70 percent of our population because we have an open policy). We want to vaccinate people as many as possible without asking where they live," he said.
"Anybody that will go and believe in Manila at gusto magpabakuna, binabakunahan namin (want to get vaccinated, we are vaccinating them),” he added.
In result, Domagoso said the COVID-19 infections in the city were just at 22 to 25 per day and only around 300 active cases were recorded despite its population of two million.
“Siksik pa kami. We are the most dense city, if not in the world, if not in Asia, at the very least, in the country. But records and data cannot lie. So, if that is the case, that can be duplicated all over the country," he said.
Domagoso, who is running for the highest position in the country, earlier vowed he will offer what they have done in Manila that are duplicable and scalable if he wins.