MANILA, Philippines — 5,000 workers — 3,000 Filipino migrant workers and 2,000 minimum wage income earners– will get a chance to be vaccinated on Labor Day according to an official’s statement this Wednesday.
The Labor Department is currently finalizing the list of eligible workers, said Secretary Bello III.
“Humingi ako kay Secretary (Carlito) Galvez… binigyan naman ako ng 5,000 bakuna para sa pagbabakuna namin ng 3,000 OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) at saka 2,000 manggagawa. Gumagawa na kami ngayon ng listahan,” Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said.
The agency had asked for recommendations from its attached departments, OFW associations, business establishments, the Department of Trade and Industry, and labor unions.
Bello added that elderly workers and those with comorbidities will be on top of their list. They will receive either Sinovac or AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine.
So far, the country has inoculated 1.7 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines. The government is targeting to immunize a third of its population or 50 to 70 million by end of the year to achieve herd immunity.
The country is expecting an “accelerated delivery” of COVID-19 vaccines beginning next month even as global production of the jabs is seen to stabilize only in June, Galvez earlier said.
Reporting By: Marcus Perez
Source: ABS-CBN News