MMC Chair Mayor Olivarez confirms all metro mayors agree to get COVID-19 jab

Metro Manila Council Chair and Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez (PIA NCR file photo)

CALOOCAN CITY, April 5 (PIA) -- Metro Manila Council (MMC) Chairperson and Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez, in an interview with ANC's Teleradyo this morning, confirmed that all the 17 metro mayors have agreed to get inoculated for COVID-19 to boost public confidence in the government's massive vaccine rollout.

"Kami pong lahat na 17 mayor sa [Metro Manila] LGUs ay pumapayag para mapakita din po namin 'yung confidence ng tao," Mayor Edwin said.

"Pero makikita po natin gumanda na po ang kumpiyansa ng ating mga residente na dati noong tayo po ay nag-roll-out po ng mga messaging, negative po, marami pong may ayaw. Pero ngayon po gumaganda. Makikita po nila 'yung mga mayor, gobernador ay magkakaroon ng vaccination, 'yun pong kumpiyansa nila ay lalo pong lalaki," Olivarez added.

When asked when is he scheduled to be inoculated, he said, within this week. "Ito pong linggong ito naka-schedule na po ako."

Mayors and governors within critical or high-risk areas, especially Metro Manila, are now classified as healthcare frontliners and may now take coronavirus vaccines ahead of their scheduled priority, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disases (IATF-EID) said through a resolution it approved on Sunday.

The IATF-EID said the main reason for this is that local chief executives, including barangay captains, are considered as very essential frontliners, the ones on top in enforcing the minimum health standards, for contact tracing, and for the massive vaccination effort, among others, in the country's bid to curb COVID-19 trajectory.

This means they are authorized to get the jabs first along with doctors, nurses and medical workers.

"Ito po'y malaking balita po sa amin, sa aming mga mayor, mga gobernador, kasi ang ginagampanan po naming function, kami po ay executive function. At sa bawat council po sa ating LGU [local government unit] kami po ang head ng bawat health board council. Kami pong mga executive officer ay umiikot at bumababa for the proper implementation sa ating PDITR [Prevent-Detect-Isolate-Treat-Reintegrate]," Olivarez said.

Meanwhile, Manila City Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso received his first dose of the Sinovac's CoronaVac vaccine on Sunday in his bid to set an example for his constituents. (PIA NCR)

Source: Philippines Information Agency (pia.gov.ph)