ANOTHER Covid-19 vaccination program for workers was carried out in Subic Bay Freeport on August 11, exactly two weeks after the launching of the government’s vaccination drive for frontline personnel in essential sectors or the A4 priority group in the Freeport.
Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Wilma Eisma said the second privately-initiated workers’ vaccination program opened at the TeleEmpire Inc. office to benefit the firm’s 280 employees.
The project was held in partnership with the Department of Health (DOH), which assisted in vaccine access, as well as in the Resbakuna center accreditation.
“I hope more companies in Subic would follow suit to have their employees vaccinated, so that we all can have peace of mind while going about our own businesses,” said Eisma, who continues to drumbeat the importance of having workers inoculated against the Covid-19 virus.
“Again, I urge Freeport workers to register for any vaccination program offered by their employers, or by their respective local government unit. It doesn’t really matter what brand of vaccine is available; what’s important is getting the dose that would keep you safe from the virus,” she added.
Eisma and Secretary Vince Dizon of the National Action Plan Against Covid-19, Health Undersecretary Roger Tong-an, and Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque launched the government’s vaccination drive for economic frontliners at the Nidec Subic Philippines Corp. on July 27.
SBMA Deputy Administrator for Health and Safety Ronnie Yambao said the vaccine rollout at TeleEmpire was administered by medical staff from the privately-owned ZMMG Coop Women’s and Children Hospital in Olongapo City, using Sinovac vaccine.
Charry Navarro, administrative officer of TeleEmpire, said the one-day vaccination schedule would provide the first dose of the vaccine to all the firm’s 280 workers.
Meanwhile, TeleEmpire president and CEO Johannes Lin lauded the SBMA for its efforts in enforcing health protocols in the Subic Bay Freeport and helping locators get vaccine allocations.
Lin also thanked the firm’s Filipino employees for their concern to fellow workers and for showing discipline during the pandemic.
“Everybody wants to be comfortable while working inside the office, that is why everybody is doing their share to keep themselves healthy and Covid-free,” he added.
Lin also said that TeleEmpire had prohibited employees from going around the Freeport, even in the malls, and had set up recreational facilities and a mini-store in the TeleEmpire complex to encourage workers to stay in their quarters when not in duty.
The firm provides facility management services and business process outsourcing services to Philippine overseas gaming operators located out of the Freeport.
Lin said the firm had planned to initiate vaccination of workers as early as April this year, but most of the employees worried about the effect of the vaccines after reading negative reactions from the social media.
“Proper information from medical experts and distributing reading materials about the Covid-19 vaccines convinced our workers to get vaccinated,” Lin said. (Ric Sapnu)