THE National Inter-Agency Task Force (NIATF) has approved the request of the national president of League of the Cities of the Philippines (LCP) to classify local chief executives (LCEs) among the priorities for vaccination against coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

Mayor Evelio Leonardia, LCP national president, in a statement Thursday, March 18, 2021, said Undersecretary Epimaco Densing called him to announce the good news that the NIATF just approved their request to classify LCEs among the priorities for vaccination.

He said LCEs pertain to the 1,634 provincial governors, city and municipal mayors. Also included are 42,046 barangay captains all over the country.

The mayor noted that LCEs will be classified as essential workers under Category A4.

“We salute Undersecretary Densing for the very quick response because it was only last Saturday (March 13) during his visit to Bacolod, when as National President of the LCP, I appealed to him to elevate this matter to the NIATF,” Leonardia said.

He said the rationale, among others, is that the LCEs are in reality also frontliners in the fight against Covid-19. The exposure and risks they encounter on a day-to-day basis as they serve their constituents are also very high.

“LCP official Mayor Mark Golez of Silay City was with me and likewise pushed for this proposition. We are sure this development will inspire and encourage our LCEs to even work harder and more effectively in the implementation of our Covid-19 program, especially now that we are accelerating our efforts to vaccinate as many of our people and as fast as possible,” Leonardia added.