Union of Local Authorities in the Philippines (ULAP) president and Quirino Gov. Dakila Cua appealed to the national government on Saturday, Nov. 13, to give the local government units (LGUs) the power to enforce the use of face shields in their respective areas.

“Iyang face shield siguro kung pupwede po, i-bigay na sa LGU ang desisyson. Si LGU na po ang mag-determine according to their doctors, kung kelangan ba mag-face shield in certain circumstances (This face shield issue if allowed should be decided by the LGU. The LGU will determine, according to their doctors, if there is a need to enforce the use of face shields in certain circumstances),’’ Cua said.

Aside from the face shield issue, Cua said the logistics concern woes in the delivery of vaccines in far-flung areas should also be addressed to allow people in these areas to be inoculated.

But Cua said that this was merely a proposal and will support and respect whatever the decision the national government decides on the matter.

He issued this call after being pressed with the probable storage facility problems, replying that although not perfect almost all of the provinces in the country have set-up these needed amenities.

More than the storage woes of the vaccines, Cua explained the need for more transportation and other appropriate logistics that will bring the vaccines to the hard to access areas on top of the mountains with no roads and islands with few public transpo routes.

He also appealed to the religious organizations to support the government’s massive COVID-19 vaccination campaign to achieve population protection against the virus.

“Ito ay isang panawagan sa ating mga kapatid sa religious sector, simbahan at iba’t ibang religious organization na sana tulungan po ang ating gobyerno sa kampanya sa pagbabakuna (This is is our call to our brethren in the religious sectors, church and other religious organizations to help the government in its inoculation campaign),’’ he added. (Chito A. Chavez)