Raffle for those vaccinated vs COVID-19 launched

MANILA, Philippines — In a bid to encourage more Filipinos to get vaccinated, the government launched a raffle for individuals who have been inoculated against COVID-19.

“Bakuna Panalo”—an SMS-based raffle open to vaccinated Filipinos—“aims to incentivize vaccination against COVID-19 to increase vaccine willingness and thank Filipinos for choosing to join the fight against COVID-19,” the Department of Health said Saturday.

A total of P3 million in cash prizes will be raffled, giving vaccinated people a chance to win between P100,000 and P1 million during the grand draw in December.

There will also be 100 winners in monthly draws beginning this month.

“Every Filipino vaccinated is another Filipino protected. Through this raffle, we celebrate the contribution that each Filipino makes in choosing to get vaccinated and playing their part to end this pandemic,” DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III said.

The DOH said more raffle entries are given to fully vaccinated individuals, and the elderly receive double the amount of entries “to ensure that people return for their second dose and that the most vulnerable sector—the senior citizens—are vaccinated and protected.”

Over 200,000 million people have so far joined the raffle, DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire told state-owned PTV on Saturday.

Since March, 22.8 million people have completed vaccination against COVID-19, while 26 million have received partial protection. — Gaea Katreena Cabico