TACLOBAN CITY — Eastern Visayas joins the rest of the country in implementing the "Bayanihan Bakunahan: Ligtas. Lakas. Buong Pinas" campaign. In accordance with this, a launching ceremony was held on November 29 to officially inaugurate the region's massive vaccination initiative.
The event was led by the Department of Health's Eastern Visayas Center for Health Development (DOH EVCHD) with the assistance of the institution's various partner agencies: the Department of Interior and Local Government, the Office of Civil Defense, the Philippine Information Agency, the Department of Information and Communications Technology, the Police Regional Office 8, the Bureau of Fire Protection, and the Philippine Army.
“The challenge for us is to capture all the unvaccinated individuals in the region within three days. Nagtutulungan ang lahat ng government agencies. We can beat COVID-19 together. Kaya natin ito despite the challenges we have in Region 8,” Dr. Exuperia B. Sabalberino, Regional Director of the Department of Health's EVCHD, stated in her opening remarks.
According to the most recent data from the Eastern Visayas COVID-19 Vaccination Dashboard, a total of 1,861,760 region residents have now received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccination. This represents 55.4 percent of the region's target population of 3,362,638 people, which is equal to 70% of the actual population.
The National COVID-19 Vaccination Days, scheduled for November 29 to December 1, aim to vaccinate at least 9 million Filipinos, increasing vaccine coverage and mobilizing stakeholders from all sectors to support the national government's goal of providing Filipinos with a safe and healthy Christmas. To help realize this vision, the region's goal for the three-day vaccination campaign is to administer at least 263,268 doses per day through the region's 297 active vaccination sites.
Rommel, PBGEN Bernardo A. Cabagnot, Regional Director of the Police Regional Office 8, assured that “the entire Police Regional Office 8 is one with the Department Of Health and Department of Interior and Local Government, in cooperation with the Regional Task Force against COVID-19, in the observance of the Bayanihan Bakunahan National COVID-19 Vaccination Days,” adding that “ang laban ng COVID-19 ay hindi laban ng iilan lamang, kundi laban nating lahat.”
“This is a whole-of-society and whole-of-government approach para dito sa historic battle. This is a war against COVID-19. Pinakamabisa natin ngayon is aside from [face]mask, social distancing, at paghuhugas ng kamay, bakuna po talaga ang ating sandata sa COVID-19,” DILG Regional Director Atty. Arnaldo E. Escober joked as he urged everyone to participate in the National COVID-19 Vaccination Days.
This is an opportunity for Region 8 to rebuild stronger, and for everyone to work cooperatively and aggressively to achieve herd immunity. According to RD Sabalberino, "with everyone’s support and cooperation, kaya nating labanan ang COVID-19 in the region." (DOH-EVCHD/PRESS RELEASE)