"JOIN the three-day National Vaccination Day."
This was the call of Dr. Edwin Miraflor Jr., officer-in-charge of the City Health Office, as he emphasized the importance of joining the massive inoculation from November 29 to December 1.
The National Vaccination Program dubbed "Bayanihan Bakunahan" is a collaboration between the national government, various communities and organizations that targets to jab five million Filipinos a day during the three-day event.
Miraflor said the "Bayanihan Bakunahan" hopes to fast-track vaccination in areas outside Metro Manila in a bid to reach 70 percent population protection nationwide.
He said 16 regions outside of Metro Manila will join the massive vaccination drive in what is called "the most ambitious vaccination undertaking in the country to date."
Miraflor noted that he already received the project brief from Manila, stating that the National Capital Region has achieved population protection, with 91.1 percent of its residents having been fully vaccinated.
The doctor added that the national government is throwing its all-out support to local government units in order to vaccinate as many Filipinos as possible before, during and after the "Bayanihan Bakunahan" event.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, Office of Civil Defense, and Philippine Coast Guard, Department of Transportation, as well as the private sector were tapped to achieve the program's objective.
Religious organizations and medical communities are also being tapped to amplify the information drive of the event.
Over 8,000 vaccination sites will be opened to accommodate the target population, including schools, malls, cinemas and restaurants.
Emergency Operations Center-Task Force (EOC-TF) Executive Director Em Ang earlier said that aside from the malls, the city government will also open all the barangay vaccination sites for the national vaccination program.
Ang said the city government was given a target of 66,000 individuals to be vaccinated in three days, or 22,000 individuals per day.
"We will try our very best to inoculate as many as we can on those days," she added.