3,000 seafarers to get jabs in Las Piñas

MANILA, Philippines — At least 3,000 Filipino seafarers will be inoculated with COVID-19 vaccines this week at the Villar Tent, Vista Global South in Las Piñas, which according to Sen. Cynthia Villar is the government’s preferred inoculation site for overseas workers.

Upon the request of the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), the Villar family has facilitated the vaccination of the first two batches of 5,000 seafarers without cost to the national government.

The seafarers were inoculated with Pfizer, Moderna and Janssen vaccines as a requirement for their overseas employment.

The Villar Tent is the only privately owned facility chosen by MARINA among three identified venues for the vaccination of seafarers. The facility is fully air-conditioned and can accommodate a large number of people.

The other inoculation sites are the Bureau of Quarantine facility in Port Area, Manila and the Office of the Associated Marine’s Officers’ and Seamen’s Union of the Philippines in Intramuros.

MARINA has partnered with the senator and her daughter, Las Piñas Rep. Camille Villar, for the vaccination of Filipino seafarers and their families.

Vice Admiral Robert Empredad, MARINA administrator, said vaccinated seafarers could go back to their work with the needed protection against COVID-19 and its highly infectious Delta variant.

Empredad said around 15,000 vaccine doses would be rolled out for the third batch of seafarers in the National Capital Region in the coming days.  Of the figure, 5,000 to 6,000 doses will be administered at the Villar Tent.

Secretary Carlito Galvez, chief implemeter of the National Task Force against COVID-19, has assured MARINA that 80,000 vaccine doses would be distributed to other regions for the inoculation of seafarers, according to Empredad.

With the vaccination of more seafarers, the elder Villar said they could “board ships again and provide for their families as well as help the country recover from economic losses due to the global health crisis.”

“Overseas workers help keep our economy afloat,” she said.

Villar said the marine sector has been badly affected as more shipping companies shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.