More volunteers needed in COVID national vax day campaign- DILG

Hard-pressed to achieve herd immunity, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) exhorted volunteers on Wednesday, Nov. 24 to lend support to the country’s coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) “National Vaccination Day (NVD)’’ slated from Nov. 29 to Dec.1.

Dubbed as “Bayanihan Bakunahan’’ the government aims to inoculate against COVID-19 15 million targeted Filipinos in the local government units (LGUs) of 16 regions outside Metro Manila during the three-day vaccination drive.

‘This is the most ambitious vaccination undertaking in the country to date and we need many volunteers, especially those with medical backgrounds, to assist in the more than 12,000 vaccination sites nationwide. We, therefore, urge everyone to become heroes not only by getting vaccinated but also by volunteering their services during the three-day vaccination drive,” said DILG Secretary Eduardo M. Año.

Año said state or private colleges and universities, especially those that are offering medical and nursing courses, should mobilize doctors, nurses, and nursing students to assist LGUs during the NVD.

Currently, the concerned LGUs are already mobilizing barangay officials and barangay-based institutions to bring people to the more than 12,000 proposed vaccination sites.

Among the volunteers needed for the NVD vaccination teams are medical doctors, nurses, pharmacists, dentists, midwives, first responders, paramedics, other health professionals, teachers and professors.

They will be assigned as health screeners, vaccinators, post vaccination monitors and health educators with the projected number of health professionals needed estimated at 100,000.

For the NVD management team, volunteers needed are data professionals, teachers and school personnel, accountants, students, government employees, Sangguniang Kabataan or any willing and trained data personnel and volunteers who will be assigned as encoders or talliers or data consolidators.

“Bukod sa ating mga LGUs, napakalaki po ng parte ng bawat mamamayan sa paparating na Bayanihan Bakunahan. Kaya naman, inaanyayahan po namin ang lahat na makiisa at mag-volunteer (Aside from our LGUs, every citizen plays an important part in the coming Bayanihan, Bakunahan. That is why we are inviting all to support and volunteer). Let us live out the spirit of bayanihan and defeat the pandemic,” he added.

The DILG chief had sought for the volunteers for any support while urging them to entice their family and friends to get the COVID-19 jabs to welcome the new normal especially in the celebration of the Holiday Season.

He added that the LGUs should drum up support for the NVD and encourage more volunteers saying that “volunteers can also sign up through the National Volunteer Registration portal at https://vaccineph.retool.com/embedded/public/a27bbe57-4f05-4a3a-a5af-5dc6a19d31b9.’’

The LGUs must also ensure that the enlistment of volunteers via the National Vaccination Volunteer Registration (NVVR) is properly managed by assigning a point person who will coordinate and communicate with the volunteers, and a data manager to download the list of volunteers with their contact details from the Vaccination Operations Reporting System (VORS).

In a memorandum circular, Año also urged the LGUs to expand the number of vaccination sites to include schools, malls, cinemas, restaurants and other public places.

He also noted that the LGUs should see to it that all vaccines that shall be used in the NVD are ready and will be properly distributed to the vaccination sites.

Año also echoed the call of the President to entice residents to get their COVID-19 shots by providing incentives like offering them free meals, rice, or cash assistance.

“I am authorizing all governors and mayors, gumastos na lang kayo ng pera. Pakainin 'nyo na lang sila (Spend money. Just feed them). Just give me the bill and I will try to pay it if I have the money,” said President Duterte in his regular Talk to the People briefing.

Peace and security

DILG Undersecretary Jonathan E. Malaya said the LGUs should work hand in hand with the Philippine National Police (PNP) the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) to provide all necessary assistance to ensure the smooth and orderly implementation and conduct of activities during the NVD.

“Personnel from the PNP, BFP, BJMP are enjoined, coordinate immediately with their LGUs counterparts for proper assignment during the NVD,” Malaya said.

Malaya emphasized that the PNP, together with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), will develop a vaccine distribution security plan and provide security during the distribution of vaccines and ancillary supplies at all levels.

The DILG spokesperson noted that after the three-day Bayanihan Bakunahan, the DILG will be evaluating the performance of the LGUs.

“Inatasan po ni Secrerary Año ang lahat ng DILG Regional Directors na i-monitor ang pagsasagawa ng NVD sa kani-kanilang rehiyon at magsumite ng report sa Emergency Operations Center (EOC) ng kagawaran sa Dec. 3, 2021 (Secretary Año tasked all DILG regional directors to monitor the NVD process in their respective regions and submit the report to the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) of the department on Dec. 3, 2021),’’ Malaya said.

From December 2-31, the DILG will be assessing and evaluating the reports and will be recognizing and commending LGUs that achieved their daily targets for the NVD and provide feedback and reports to the localities. (Chito A. Chavez)