The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) has recommended the prioritization of teachers in the vaccination strategy of the national government.

“We should not forget our teachers. They are heroes. Some have made drastic adjustments teaching remotely through online modules. Others still bear the risk of exposure by delivering modules to remote places for students who do not have access to the internet,” said PRC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Senator Richard Gordon said in a letter addressed to Sec. Vince Dizon, the Deputy Chief Implementer, National Task Force Against COVID-19.

Gordon’s recommendation came after having a series of virtual dialogues with the Red Cross Youth council advisers and teachers from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao who expressed concerns about the slow vaccination rate among teachers --- especially now that classes are about to start.

Teachers, alongside social workers, were previously classified Priority Eligible B under the COVID-19 Vaccination Program’s prioritization framework.

Last April, teachers and media workers were reclassified to Priority Eligible A and considered frontliners in the war against the pandemic.

However, PRC noted that as of Aug. 11, the vaccine turnout for teachers remains low with only 140,402 teachers vaccinated out of an 800,000 target.

Earlier this year, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) urged all countries to prioritize teachers in national COVID-19 vaccine rollout plans to ensure that education can continue safely and that schools can remain open.

“Teachers’ vaccination is a vital component in giving hope to face-to-face classes as the effectiveness of the online platform and modular tools for learning is still in doubt,” it added.

Thus, Gordon further emphasized the vital role that teachers play in the country’s recovery against the COVID-19 pandemic --- stressing that they will ensure the continuance of education despite the challenges of the pandemic and tagging them the “frontliners of education.”