ILOILO – The local government unit (LGU) of Tigbauan town allocated P5 million for the procurement of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines.
According to Mayor Suzette Alquisada, the amount is only a preparation for they have to wait for the allocation of the provincial government or the national government.
“Kun may ara kinahanglanon ang banwa then we will be willing gid ya to shoulder man sang iban pa gid,” Alquisada told Panay News.
Tigbauan has an ongoing vaccine literacy program covering its 52 barangays.
The LGU’s target populations are the frontliners, especially Barangay Health Workers, and the elderly.
Alquisada also revealed that a lot of her constituents are still apprehensive of getting the anti-coronavirus shots.
“Medyo manubo gid ang acceptance sang mga tawo because sa low literacy level sa vaccine,” she said.
“Ang iban naga-base lang sa opinion sa social media or sa bali-balita,” the mayor lamented.
To bolster public trust on vaccination, Alquisada expressed willingness to be injected with the COVID-19 vaccine.
“I’m willing gid ya kaso sa sini nga nag-abot nga vaccine, ang DOH (Department of Health) naga-direct kon sin-o ang hatagan,” she said, referring to the Sinovac jabs donated by China to the Philippine government.
The mayor said getting vaccinated is important to minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission and “protect ourselves and our family.”
As soon as the vaccine arrives in Tigbauan, Alquisada said the LGU would follow the recommended priority population set by the Inter-Agency Task Force. These included frontline health workers, senior citizens, persons with co-morbidities, and indigent persons.
The mayor is also hoping the government would expand the list of priority frontliners to workers in private health facilities and clinics in Iloilo City.
As of this writing, Tigbauan had 133 total coronavirus cases – 10 were active, 120 recovered and three deaths./PN
