Cabinet Secretary and Acting Presidential Spokesperson Karlo Nograles trumpeted the efforts to recruit volunteers for the second round of national vaccination days, saying it will be a great boon to coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic frontliners.
"For close to two years, we have been hailing our medical frontliners as our new heroes. And right now, they stand to benefit if a greater percentage of our population is vaccinated," Nograles said during a virtual press conference on Tuesday, Dec. 14.
"The past few days, we have seen posts from major hospitals in Metro Manila who happily report that they have no new COVID cases or that the number of regular medical cases outnumber their COVID patients – ito po ay resulta ng malawakang pagbabakuna (this is the result of mass vaccination)," the Palace official noted.
According to Nograles, the improved COVID-19 situation in the country will give medical frontliners, especially those from Metro Manila, "more time for their families because we have been able to vaccinate a substantial portion of our population in the National Capital Region".
"Now, we have to replicate this around the country; and to do this, we need as many generous, helpful and heroic hands as possible," he noted. This is where the volunteers come in.
Nograles said the recruitment of volunteers for the second round of "Bayanihan, Bakunahan" is ongoing.
"Sinu-sino ba ang puwedeng mag-volunteer? Maaring tumulong ang sinuman para sa vaccination team or data management teams ng LGU (local government unit) nila, may health or medical background man or wala (So who can volunteer? Anybody can help in their respective LGUs' vaccination teams or data management teams whether they have medical backgrounds or not)," he noted.
For the vaccination teams, he said doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, midwives, first responder paramedics, medical interns, clerks, and other allied health professionals may be accepted as volunteers.
On the other hand, data professionals, teachers, school personnel, accountants, students, government workers and other non-health professionals can volunteer for the data management teams.
The three-day Bayanihan, Bakunahan will run from Dec. 15 to 17. The government aims to vaccinate seven million people during the period.