ILOILO – The municipal government of Leon has allocated up to P5 million for the procurement of vaccines against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
According to Mayor Ma. Lina Holipas, her local government is targeting to inoculate 70 percent of the town’s more or less 60,000 total population.
“We want to achieve herd immunity para indi madali-dali matapikan sang virus ang aton mga pumoluyo,” Holipas told Panay News.
She also said the budget may be raised should more of people of Leon signify willingness to be vaccinated.
Vaccine information dissemination is ongoing in the 85 barangays of the town. The drive is being led by personnel of their Rural Health Unit (RHU).
The mayor previously said a lot of her constituents – even Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams (BHERTs) and frontliners – were skeptical of the anti-coronavirus vaccine.
But the numbers are getting higher now that they have intensified their vaccination advocacy.
Holipas is also waiting for her turn to be vaccinated. She has been included in the government’s adjusted vaccination queue together with five other mayors in Iloilo province.
The others were Oscar Garin Sr. (Guimbal), Francisco Calvo (Calinog), Rema Somo (Santa Barbara), and Elvira Alarcon (Batad).
Also included were all governors in Western Visayas./PN
