6 Cebu mayors now vaccinated

CEBU, Philippines — At least six local chief executives in Cebu province, including Cebu City, have already received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

This after the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), through its Resolution No. 115-B, allowed the governors and mayors to be vaccinated under the priority group A1.5.

Among the early birds were Medellin Mayor Joven Mondigo, who got his first dose of Sinovac vaccine on Tuesday and City of Naga Mayor Kristine Vanessa Chong, who got her first dose AstraZeneca vaccine at the Naga Vaccination Center on the same day.

Carcar City Vice Mayor Nicepuro Apura and City Councilors Patrick Barcenas, Edgardo Oca and Alberto Camingao Jr. also got their first dose of Sinovac on Tuesday. Aside from being elective officials, they are also senior citizens who belong to the A2 priority group, according to Carcar City government.

Danao City Mayor Ramon “Nito” Durano got his second dose of AstraZeneca vaccine last Monday. He also belongs to A2 group as a senior citizen.

Durano said he experienced slight adverse effects after getting the two doses but assured that he is now feeling well.

“During my first dose, nakapamati ko'g hot flashes for five minutes. Sa second dose nako gahapon (Mayo 17) kay naay light headache for 10 minutes, two hours after the vaccination. Mao ra to akong gamay nga discomforts,” he was quoted as saying in a post on the Danao City government’s Facebook page.

“Today I feel okay and normal. COVID-19 vaccine is better than the COVID-19 disease itself. Daghan ta nga nabalaka pero dili ta padaog sa COVID. Kung available na ang vaccine para sa imong category, pahimus dayon aron protected ka, imong pamilya ug ang komunidad,” he added.

Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard Chan joined the circle of vaccinated Cebu mayors yesterday with him getting the first dose of the vaccine.

Earlier this month, Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella also got his first dose of the vaccine.

It can be recalled that Minglanilla Mayor Elanito Peña was first among Cebu mayors to get inoculated against COVID-19 back in March this year.

‘Frontliners, too’

The Department of the Interior and Local Government has welcomed Malacañang’s decision to move local chief executives to A1.5 in the priority list, they being frontliners as well.

“Our governors and mayors are the heads of the local COVID-19 task forces, so it’s just right that they are prioritized since they perform a vital role in defeating the pandemic on the local level. In fact, all major programs of government are implemented locally by the mayors, therefore they are critical to the success of everything that we do,” said DILG Secretary Eduardo Año.

Through Resolution No. 115-B, 1,634 provincial governors and city and municipal mayors move up under the A1.5 category in the priority listing, regardless of the risk classification of their respective local government units.

Año emphasized that LCEs are bound by the law to be on top of all the COVID-19 efforts within their jurisdictions and enforce all COVID-related policies and measures including prevention, detection, isolation, treatment, and rehabilitation.

“They [LCEs] may not be doctors, but they are equally frontliners dahil lahat po ng istratehiya natin ang mga humaharap po ang mga lokal na opisyales, si mayors at si governor,” he said.

“Hindi naman po puwedeng puro Zoom na lang ang paglilingkod. Kailangan pong bumaba ng mga LCE and we at the DILG firmly believe that inoculating them is for the common good,” he added.

Mobile vaccination clinic

Meanwhile, the Lapu-Lapu City government is now preparing for the vaccination of A4 priority group or the economic frontliners, especially the vendors and drivers, by providing a mobile vaccination clinic that will be parked soon in the public markets and transport terminals.

Mayor Chan said this will bring vaccination closer to the people and encourage them to be vaccinated.

City Health Office head Dr. Agnes Realiza has inspected the MVC, which is an air-conditioned bus.

The MVC is a joint undertaking of the city government’s health office, Philippine Red Cross, and UBE Express, the owner of the buses.

Cyril Alegado, PRC-Lapu-Lapu-Cordova Chapter service representative, said mobile vaccination clinic will be manned by a doctor, two nurses, and medical allied volunteers.

Realiza said they will “most likely” use a second bus for the 15-minute to 30-minute post-vaccination observation. They will also use tents outside the bus for registration.

Realiza added it is possible the MVC may soon go to the barangays.

To further encourage more people to be vaccinated, at their convenience, Lapu-Lapu City has also hired 30 tricycles to transport senior citizens and PWDs to the vaccination sites at Gun-ob Elementary School and Agus gymnasium.

Another set of tricycles would carry would-be vaccine recipients in Sta. Rosa Community Hospital in Olango Island. —Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon, Caecent N. Magsumbol/JMD (FREEMAN)