TUCP hails A1, A4 modification for priority vaccination

MANILA, Philippines — The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) hailed over the weekend the inclusion of outbound overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and family members of health care workers in the A1 category for priority in receiving vaccines against COVID-19.

Likewise, the TUCP lauded the liberalization of the A4 list which now includes almost all workers for immediate vaccination.

“The prayers of workers have been answered in the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) re-prioritization and the TUCP hopes the vaccine supply and vaccinations will ramp up to cover all the priorities,” said TUCP president Rep. Raymond Mendoza.

Mendoza said the original list under the A4 category was problematic. “It did not capture the universe of all workers who needed to work to earn a living to keep their families alive and to fend off hunger,” he said.

“The TUCP has been pressing for jab prioritization of all workers, including government workers, as they are all economic frontliners,” said Mendoza, stressing the need to prioritize workers for the economy to recover.

Now, the A4 list includes even informal workers.

“IATF is finally saying through this refinement of the A4 priority group that as long as you have to leave your house to earn a living, you are A4 prioritized to get vaccinated,” said TUCP vice president Luis Corral.

The TUCP is also pushing for a “green lane” for the administration of “internationally accepted vaccines” on outbound OFWs and seafarers whom it referred to as “the last bright spot of our economy.”