Gov't mulls vaccine rollout for A4, A5 categories in BARMM
The government is planning to begin vaccinations for people under the A4 and A5 priority group in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Presidential peace adviser and vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. disclosed this Friday, May 14, as part of the government's development programs for the region.
"We have a program for the BARMM, sir, particularly that allow already our vaccinations to A4 and A5," Galvez said at the Senate local government committee's hearing on the proposed deferment of the Bangsamoro elections in 2022.
He said inoculations of BARMM residents in A1 to A3 categories have been ongoing.
Under the government's COVID-19 vaccination program, A1 to A3 categories cover of medical frontliners, senior citizens and persons with comorbities.
The A4 category consists of frontline personnel in essential sectors, which include government workers and uniformed personnel, as well as workers in commuter transport, market vendors, workers in food, beverage pharmaceutical sector and in accommodation establishments, overseas Filipino workers and and members of the media.
Meanwhile, indigent population are placed under the A5 category.
Senator Francis Tolentino, chairperson of the Senate local government committee, asked Galvez if former combatants of the Moro Islamic Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) can also be prioritized for the coronavirus inoculations since they will be "potential members" of the military and police.
Under the normalization process in the Bangsamoro Organic Law, former MILF fighters may join the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police, to serve as peacekeepers in the BARMM.
"We are allocating for our combatants also. Particularly seniors and with comorbidities," Galvez said.
According to Tolentino, the BARMM leadership, currently dominated by MILF representatives, allocated P500 million for the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines.
He urged Galvez to discuss the vaccines procurement with concerned Bangsamoro authorities.