TEN regions in the country have fully vaccinated 70 percent of their population against COVID-19, National Task Force against COVID-19 chief and vaccine czar Carlito Galvez said Monday night.
Galvez, during the “Talk to the People” address of President Duterte, said Metro Manila topped the 10 regions, registering a 114.1 percent full vaccination rate.
The others are Ilocos (Region I) with 86.4 percent, Cagayan Valley (II) 83.58 percent, Central Luzon (III) 83.4 percent, Calabarzon (IV-A) 79.77 percent, Western Visayas (IV-A) 79.09 percent, Davao (XI) 74.72 percent, Northern Mindanao (IV-A) 74.68 percent, Zamboanga Peninsula (IX) 70.83 percent, and the Cordillera Administrative Region with 82.51 percent.
Trailing are Albay (Region V) with 69.96 percent, Eastern Visayas (VIII) 69.93 percent, Caraga (XIII) 69.75 percent, Mimaropa (IV-B) 68.56 percent, Central Visayas (IV-B) 64.53 percent, and Soccsksargen (XII) with 61.25 percent.
Galvez said the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) is far behind with only 28.02 percent of its population fully vaccinated, which he said is due to vaccine hesitancy.
He said he will visit Basilan this week to encourage Muslims and check on the vaccination conditions in the area.Galvez visited Zamboanga City yesterday and led the “Resbakuna Kids” program held at the SM Mindoro and Zamboanga City School.
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said some 132 million doses of vaccines have been administered nationwide. Around 61.22 million individuals have received their first dose, 61.62 million are now fully vaccinated, and 9.16 million have had their booster doses.
President Duterte on Monday night said one thing that will make him “happy” before he steps down from office in June if he sees that almost all of the Filipinos are fully vaccinated.
The government targets to fully vaccinate 90 million of the more than 110 million Filipinos by the end of Duterte’s term and to administer boosters to 72 million during the same period.
“If there is something that makes me happy when I go out of this office, maligaya ako kung malaman ko na halos lahat magpabakuna (If there is something that makes me happy when I go out of this office, I will be happy if I find out that the almost all are vaccinated),” the President said.
Duterte said the country is far from reaching herd immunity but the government aims to achieve that.
“No one is still safe. We have to avoid it, wear a mask and listen to what the government says,” he said in mixed English and Filipino.
The President said Science has proven that the vaccination has contributed significantly to lowering COVID-19 cases in the country especially with continued compliance with minimum health standards.
Duterte again pleaded to the public to be vaccinated.
Meanwhile, fully inoculated tourists in Boracay may walk in for booster shots which will be administered by the island’s pharmacists, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said Friday.
Puyat, who graced the launching of the “Resbakuna sa Botika” program at the Watson’s Pharmacy in City Mall Boracay, said the Department of Tourism expects the “crown jewel of tourism” will once again be swarmed with travelers from around the world.
She said the program will provide an added layer of protection to the island’s domestic visitors and this will impact on the tourism industry and all the Filipinos whose livelihoods depend on tourism. — With Edison Gonzalez