MANILA, Philippines — Top officials of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) expressed willingness yesterday to publicly receive COVID-19 vaccines if it will help boost people’s confidence on the vaccines.
“If the Holy Father, Pope Francis and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI had themselves vaccinated and, in my estimation, it helps if people would see me publicly vaccinated, why not?” CBCP president and Davao Archbishop Romulo Valles said.
“My answer to that is yes, because we are partnering with our local government units (LGUs) in this vaccination program. Anything that can allay the fears of vaccination, we will offer in the church,” CBCP vice president Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David said.
Valles added that he wants to choose “a good vaccine” if possible but emphasized he could take any vaccines available. “If I can wait for a good vaccine, yes I would. But if the situation tells me that you cannot wait, I would take any vaccine offered,” Valles said.
The CBCP also allowed church facilities to be used as vaccination centers, especially in difficult areas where large venues are needed.
DICT ready to help
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said it could help look for an IT company that that will run information management systems for the COVID-19 vaccination drive.
“We are still undertaking necessary activities so that all efforts are synchronized with that of the Vaccine Cluster,” said ICT undersecretary for digital Emmanuel Rey Caintic.
Earlier, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) had tasked the DICT to procure services pertaining to the design approval, IT project implementation, and service management of the Philippine COVID-19 Vaccine Information Management System (VIMS).
Prioritize poor, vulnerable in vaccination
Meanwhile, Sen. Bong Go appealed that the poor and vulnerable sectors be given priority access to vaccines.
“It is important that these vaccines reach the most needy who should receive them. There are people who do not know where to go and do not even know what the vaccine means. They are the ones who have to go out and work to support their families. They are the ones living with one scratch, one peck (isang kahig, isang tuka),”said Go, chairman of the Senate committee on health.
He also urged concerned authorities to implement a distribution plan that can guarantee access for all Filipinos as the government targets to inoculate half of the population in 2021.
Some 57 to 60 million Filipinos are expected to receive vaccines secured by the government within the year, according to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III. Around 10 to 13 million more will be vaccinated by LGUs and the private sector. — Rainier Allan Ronda, Cecille Suerte Felipe