Four teacher-broadcasters have so far received their first dose of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine, the Department of Education (DepEd) has disclosed.

DepEd TV teacher-broadcasters Pamela Amor Villanueva, Antonio Maaghop, Jr., Sharlene Grace Martin, and John David Martin were among the vaccinees during the National Capital Region (NCR) Plus 8 Commitment Ceremony and Symbolic Vaccination for the A4 Priority Group on Monday.

They represented the basic education sector in the “VacciNATION: Resbakuna para sa A4” event at the SM Mall of Asia (MOA) Central Atrium, DepEd said.

Villanueva said as a teacher and as a second parent, they should be faithfully carrying out their sworn duty to ensure the safety of their students.

She said COVID-19 vaccination "is a must” for them as education frontliners.

"Tapat sa sinumpaang tungkuling masiguro ang kaligtasan ng mga mag-aaral. Bilang ikalawang magulang na ibinibigay ang nararapat na karapatan ng bawat kabataan-edukasyon, kalusugan, impormasyon.(We are faithful to the sworn duty to ensure the safety of students. As a second parent who is giving the appropriate right of every youth — education, health, information),” Villanueva said.

Martin expressed hope that the government’s ongoing vaccination program will pave the way for the return of face-to-face classes.

“Sa aking mga kapwa guro, hayaan natin na maging halimbawa tayo sa pakikiisa sa hakbanging ito upang mapuksa ang virus. Magtiwala tayo na ito na nga ang solusyon na matagal na nating hinihintay (To my fellow teachers, let us be an example of solidarity in this move to eradicate the virus. Let us trust that this is indeed the solution we have been waiting for),” she said.

DepEd Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones took the opportunity to call on all education frontliners to follow the example of the four DepEd TV teacher-broadcasters, saying their participation in the government’s inoculation program will boost the agency’s plan to “safely reopen our schools.”

“With our teacher-broadcasters proudly getting their vaccines, I encourage our teachers and personnel to follow suit for the protection for their children, families, and community,” she said in a statement issued on Saturday, June 12.

It was Briones who pushed for the upgrading of the vaccination for DepEd’s teaching and non-teaching personnel from B1 to A4 priority list. Her appeal was granted by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).

"The participation of the whole family of DepEd will significantly boost our plan to safely reopen our schools,” DepEd Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones said

“We also call for their support in disseminating truthful and relevant information about vaccines to engage the public in making informed decisions to mitigate the public health situation,” she added.