ILOILO City – Officials of the National Task Force (NTF) on COVID-19 including Health secretary Francisco Duque are coming over today.
They will launch the national government’s “Resbakuna sa Botika” at the Festive Mall.
With Duque are NTF chief implementer and vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez and testing czar Secretary Vivencio Dizon.
Also joining them are Iloilo City’s Mayor Jerry Treñas, Iloilo governor Arthur Defensor Jr., Mercury Drug district supervisor (Southern Visayas Region) Joan Marie Geraldoy, and RPH Rose Pharmacy Western Visayas regional operations manager Ruisa Marie Lamprea.
“Resbakuna sa Botika” aims to make COVID-19 vaccination more accessible to people. The program was launched in Metro Manila on Jan. 20.
The launching program starts at 8 a.m.
This will be the NTF officials’ first visit to Iloilo City since the coronavirus pandemic broke out in 2020.
Aside from rolling out the “Resbakuna sa Botika” program in Iloilo City, Duque is also checking the soon-to-be-operational Iloilo City Modular Hospital in Barangay So-oc, Arevalo district, according to Treñas.
DOH will be providing the hospital with healthcare workers such as doctors and nurses, said the mayor.
In Metro Mainla, major pharmacies participating in the “Resbakuna sa Botika” include The Generics Pharmacy, Generika Drugstore, Healthway Clinic, Mercury Drug, Watsons, QualiMed, and Southstar Drug.
Acting presidential spokesperson Karlo Nograles, earlier said the pharmacy-based vaccination would still be free.
For his part, Secretary Galvez said this scheme also addresses the problem on the lack of vaccinators in government vaccination centers./PN
