The government will hold special vaccination days in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to address the low vaccination rate in the region, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said on Thursday.
“Mababa pa yung vaccination rate lalo na yung areas ng BARMM, Regions 12 (Soccsksargen), 7 (Central Visayas), medyo mababa pa yung vaccination rate diyan. So talagang sabay ito yung ginagawa natin both monitoring the violations on the election campaign and at the same time sa health protocols (The vaccination rate is still low, especially in the areas of BARMM, Regions 12, 7, the vaccination rate is still relatively low there. So this is really what we are doing both monitoring the violations on the election campaign and at the same time on health protocols),” Año told reporters during the joint press conference of DILG, Commission on Elections (Comelec), and the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Camp Crame.
He said this is the reason why they have been strict in monitoring campaign sorties in the BARMM, saying this could lead to an upsurge of cases.
DILG spokesperson Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya, said the planned special vaccination days for BARMM were already given a go signal by National Task Force (NTF) against Covid-19 implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr.
“BARMM is a special area that we are focusing on. The big challenge really is because only 25 percent of the population there are fully vaccinated. So we are going to have special vaccination days in BARMM. Every province in the region will be the focus of intensive government intervention through the NTF to ensure that we would meet our target just like the rest of the country,” said Malaya who was also present in the same briefing.
He also reminded LGUs to boost the administration of booster shots.
“The booster shots are critical and important, especially for the vulnerable population,” he noted.
During the prerecorded Talk to the People of President Rodrigo Duterte aired late Tuesday night, National Task Force (NTF) Galvez cited that BARMM has the lowest vaccination output among 17 regions in the country, with only 25 percent of its target population fully vaccinated.
Galvez said both the World Health Organization (WHO) and Department of Health (DOH) have raised alarm over the possible surge of Covid-19 cases in BARMM amid the start of the month-long observation of the fasting month of Ramadan.
Galvez cited some Muslims refusing to get vaccinated over concerns that the Covid-19 vaccines are not permissible in their religious and cultural beliefs.
The geographical locations are also affecting the vaccination phase in BARMM, he said.
For instance, it would take six to seven hours of travel each time the vaccination team will go to the remote areas of Tawi-Tawi and Basilan for the inoculation of residents in the concerned areas.
Galvez said the government is pushing a “strategic focus towards vaccinating the majority of BARMM residents.”
To date, there are 66,230,305 Filipinos who have already received two primary series of Covid-19 vaccines, with 12,208,931 eligible vaccinees having their booster shots or additional protection against the dreaded disease.
‘Covid-proofing’ polls
Meanwhile, the poll body is looking at establishing its own medical advisory board that will provide support in crafting timely and more responsive policies against the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
Commissioner Aimee Neri said this is among efforts aimed at “Covid-proofing our elections.”
“We want to set up medical desks that will respond to health-related issues of voters, most especially those belonging to the vulnerable sector, on Election Day,” she added in the same briefing.
The Comelec earlier said it will establish isolation polling places (IPPs) for voters with a temperature of 37.5 degrees Celsius or higher and those who exhibit Covid-19 symptoms. (PNA)
