MABALACAT City Mayor Crisostomo Garbo wants faster inoculation for owners and employees of small to medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) in the city.

“Maraming na po ang mga programa na ating inilunsad upang mailapit sa mga mamamayan ang mga supply ng bakuna laban sa Covid-19. Ang pagbabakuna sa ating mga SMEs, partikular sa mga may-ari ng mga barberya, sari-sari stores, vulcanizing shops, at marami pang iba, ay kinakitaan din natin ng pagpapahalaga,” Garbo said.

(We have launched many programs to bring the supply of Covid-19 vaccine closer to the people. We also appreciate the importance of vaccination for our SMEs, particularly the owners of barbershops, sundry stores, vulcanizing shops, and many others.)

“Kung noon ay nababalitaan lang natin ang Covid-19 sa mga karatig-rehiyon, ngayon ay nasa komunidad na natin ito o maaaring nasa tahanan na natin. Bahagi ng ating pag-iibayo sa ating vaccination program ay ang pagbabakuna sa mga immediate service providers sa ating mga pamayanan na malimit na puntahan ng ating mga kababayan,” he added.

(If then we only heard of Covid-19 in neighboring regions, now it is in our community or maybe in our home. Part of the enhancement of our vaccination program is to vaccinate immediate service providers in our communities that our fellow citizens often visit.)

According to the World Bank Organization, SMEs play a major role in most economies particularly in developing countries like the Philippines. Moreover, the sector takes up 90 percent of businesses and more than 50 percent of employment, worldwide.

Under the city program, SME employers and workers can now receive their Covid-19 jabs by submitting a copy of their Business Permits or Barangay Permits, and by enlisting the names of their workers, to be coordinated and forwarded to the City Planning and Development Office (CPDO) located at the Mabalacat City Hall.

The CPDO said all establishments whose workforce have received complete Covid-19 doses will receive safety certification from the City Government.

For his part, Garbo said the initiative is an added program to the compendium of Covid-19 Vaccination Programs of the city aimed at protecting Mabalaqueños against the virus and make the government’s immunization program within people’s reach.

Aside from the six hubs at the SM City Clark main vaccination site, Mabalaqueños can now reach vaccination services through alternative venues such as the one at the city hall, and five satellite centers in Barangay Camachiles (with fast lanes for senior citizens), San Isidro, Duquit, Sapang Biabas and Madapdap.

Meanwhile, the City Government continues its inoculation of health care workers, senior citizens, workers in essential sectors, tourism and economic frontliners, transport groups and the general population, accruing 147, 617 vaccinated individuals in Mabalacat City, to date.