The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) was elated over the increase in the vaccine confidence level of the Filipinos for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) based on the Social Weather Station (SWS) survey.

From only 32 percent last year, DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said it is now at 51 percent.

"We can confirm this in the 3,688 vaccination centers where vaccinations are going strong and our A2 and A3 vaccinees (priority groups) are trooping to the vaccination centers with the help of our barangay officials," said Malaya.

“The increase in vaccine confidence is also confirmed by our daily vaccinations which have reached 229,600 vaccinations a day nationwide. Our seven-day moving average of vaccinated individuals has also increased to 108,540 as of May 18 which is a marked improvement from 67,780 as of May 11,” he added.

Malaya noted the key to the increase in vaccine trust was the concerted efforts of the national and local governments, the medical community and other stakeholders to educate and inform the public about the benefits of vaccination and why it’s important to the government’s overall strategy to end the pandemic.

The DILG official stressed that the local government units (LGUs) need to raise social mobilization in the barangays to sustain the positive trend of the national vaccination program.

“We are urging barangays to conduct more house-to-house or mobile registration to assist people with no internet connection or with no gadgets so that they can register,” Malaya said.

He also said that the LGUs may tap the homeowners associations and other community-based organizations to help in the education and registration campaign.

As part of the intensified information and education campaign, the LGUs also need to organize more vaccination town hall meetings featuring doctors and other medical experts to speak about the benefits of vaccination.

“LGUs may tap their local medical associations for the conduct of these town hall meetings where doctors and other influencers can speak about vaccination,” Malaya said.

The DILG has issued memorandum circular (MC) number 2021-019 directing all LGUs to conduct vaccination demand generation and communications activities to increase vaccine confidence in the communities.

Under the MC, the LGUs are instructed to organize a vaccination demand generation team as part of the local COVID-19 Task Force to handle the conduct of demand generation activities and social mobilization programs.