Re-electionist Senator Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday urged the government to make sure that a majority of the population would get vaccinated against COVID-19 before Christmas.

Hontiveros made the call as she expressed her support to the government and private sector’s initiative to conduct a massive vaccination drive over a three-day period.

According to the National Task Force Against COVID-19, the target of the government is to inoculate about five million Filipinos to achieve “population protection” before the year ends.

“We support the government's last ditch effort to achieve its target for this year,” Hontiveros said in a statement.

“Nakakalungkot na ngayon lang naghain ng programa para sa malawakang bakunahan ang administrasyon, lalo’t mag-e-expire na ang mga vaccines (It’s sad that the administration laid out this nationwide program just now, especially since most of the vaccines are about to expire),” the senator added.

Hontiveros recalled the Department of Health (DOH) itself admitted that around 12,686 doses of vaccines, approximately worth P6.9-million were wasted during the budget hearing.

“Huwag na nating dagdagan ang sayang. Ang ganitong uri ng urgency ay matagal nang panawagan ng marami sa ating mga kababayan (Let’s not waste more doses. The public has long called on the government to have some sense of urgency),” she said.

“Tulad ng National Immunization Days at Oplan Alis Disease ni dating Sec. Juan Flavier, dapat maayos na ma-mobilize ang iba’t-ibang sektor— mula volunteers, media, at civic organizations— upang abutin at pataasin ang bilang ng mga bakunado at protektado laban sa Covid-19 bago mag-Pasko (Like the National Immunization Days and Oplan Alis Disease during former Health Secretary Juan Flavier, we should mobilize all sectors—volunteers, media, civic organizations—to achieve and increase the number of vaccinated and protected individuals before COVID-19 before Christmas),” she stressed.