THE Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has reminded all local government units (LGUs), including Davao City, to increase their vaccination against Covid-19 and finish it before the year ends, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said.
Duterte-Carpio said in an interview on Monday, November 8, that DILG made the directive during a meeting last week.
"Last week, gipatawag tanang mayors sa DILG, and gipakita ang performace sa mga LGU sa (the different mayors were called by DILG in a meeting, and showed the performance per LGU in the) vaccination, and we were reminded to get it done before the year ends," the mayor said in an interview on 87.5 FM Davao City Disaster Radio.
She said the DILG also emphasized increasing the daily vaccination target.
"We were reminded by DILG na pag dili ma-hit ang (that if we won’t be able to hit the) daily target, it must be added on to the next day's target para (so that) we see an end to the rollout of the vaccination," she said.
She added, “Otherwise, kung mag-sige lang ta og extend og extend sa atong deadline, di gyud na mahuman ang pag-target sa (if we keep on extending our deadline, we won’t be able to achieve the) herd immunity.”
During a meeting with the Covid-19 Task Force on Monday, November 8, the mayor reminded the Vaccination Cluster to increase its daily target vaccinees from 15,000 to 16,695 doses per day.
Despite increasing its target daily vaccinees, Duterte-Carpio said the city was not able to meet it as the average vaccination only ranges from around 10,000 to 12,000 doses, depending on certain days.
Earlier, the mayor said the City eyes to achieve the herd immunity for the first dose on October 15, but it was unable to meet the deadline. This was extended to November 15.
But according to the Vaccine Cluster, the City may not achieve its target of 1.2 million by November 15.
With this, she reminded them to come up with additional strategies to be able to hit the daily target.
As of November 8, the Vaccine Cluster has recorded a total of 909,149 doses administered as first dose or 69.94 percent out of the targeted herd immunity, while 836,122 doses were jabbed for the second dose or 64.32 percent out of the targeted herd immunity.
DILG-Davao Director Alex Roldan, meanwhile, said they already sent an advisory to the different barangays to monitor and identify their constituents who are not yet vaccinated in order to convince them to have themselves inoculated.
“Asta ang kapitan wala, the more nga manubag siya tungod nga elected siya (If the barangay captain himself is not yet vaccinated, the more he will face liability since he is an elected official),” Roldan said.
He also said he will summon them and explain their reason for not getting vaccinated.
The DILG official said that barangay officials must serve as a role model to their constituents to have themselves vaccinated, in order to contribute in the LGU’s effort to reach the targeted herd immunity.
Liga ng Barangay-Davao City Chapter president Edgar Ibuyan Sr. said in a recent interview that some officials, including the captain and councilors, coming from 29 villages in the city are unvaccinated.