Senator Christopher “Bong” Go urged local government units particularly in the Visayas and Mindanao to come up with creative ideas to ramp up their vaccination efforts and fast track the rollout in order to reach a wider population in accordance with the prioritization order.

In a radio interview on Sunday, Go asked LGUs and authorities in charge of the vaccine rollout to ensure that the vaccines in their possession are immediately distributed and utilized to those who are eligible for inoculation.

“Sa mga LGUs, paigtingin pa natin ang pagbabakuna. Dapat ‘di magtagal ang stocks sa inyo. Marami na ang gustong magpabakuna pero naghihintay. Pabilisin natin ang sistema sa pag-distribute ng bakuna,” urged Go.

“Dapat po hindi ma-stock nang matagal sa storage n’yo. Dapat maging creative ang LGU. Kung kailangan suyurin ang mga pamamahay, gawin n’yo na po. Mga senior citizen na ‘di makalabas, baka pwede suyurin n’yo, bahay bahay,” he added.

He also encouraged members of vaccination priority groups, particularly senior citizens, to get vaccinated to sustain the expansion of the national vaccination program.

“Ako naman po ay nananawagan sa mga senior citizens. Dapat po protektado kayo at paano kayo makakalabas kung ‘di kayo protektado,” said Go.

“Kayong senior citizens ang vulnerable sa sakit na ito. Sila po ang madaling matamaan. Dapat protektado kayo kaya nasa priority list kayo. ‘Yun po ang sadya natin dito na talaga pong protektahan ang senior citizen,” he added.

Go mentioned that the vaccination program will now be opened for members of A4 priority groups. He also stressed the need to vaccinate those belonging to ages 40 to 59, given their vulnerabilities to sickness.

“Sa mga darating na araw, I think bubuksan na ang (pagbabakuna para sa) A4 groups… yung 40 to 59 years old importante rin. Sila naman ang babakunahan para unti-unti. Binabalanse naman dahil ‘di pwedeng buksan ang lahat, baka kulangin ang bakuna,” he said.

The senator also reminded vaccinated individuals to complete their COVID-19 doses as he suggested for the intensification of the vaccine information campaign to encourage them to get their second dose.

“Paigtingin pa natin ang education campaign na dapat silang bumalik. Hindi ibig sabihin tapos na first dose, ‘di na babalik. Ibig sabihin, baka meron silang nararamdaman na ‘di muna sila sang-ayon sa second dose,” Go said.

“Meron naman tayong district hospitals. Tanungin n’yo muna sa kanila. ‘Wag kayong matakot dahil naka-set na po ang second dose. Halimbawa, Sinovac, four weeks po (in between two doses). AstraZeneca, 8 to 12 weeks po. So, sumunod po kayo sa ating paalala dahil baka kulang ang first dose, ‘di n’yo pa (na develop) ang antibodies,” added the Senator.

While COVID-19 remains a threat, Go is optimistic about the progress of the country’s pandemic response, including its vaccination efforts. Go assured Filipinos that there is ‘light at the end of the tunnel’.

“Tignan n’yo po sa ibang bansa, bagamat tumaas ang kanilang numero, halimbawa na lang po ay ang Estados Unidos, nakita n’yo sobrang taas ang numero nila. Tayo mas istrikto tayo sa kanila, tayo naka-mask at face shield. Tingnan mo sila ngayon, ang iba hindi pa nga nagpe-face mask, ‘wag natin sila gayahin,” said Go.

“Ang importante po dito, nakikita natin ang light at the end of the tunnel. May pag-asa. Makikita n’yo sa Estados Unidos, ang basketball, meron na silang audience kahit konti pero nakakatuwa po na nakikita n’yo naglalaro sila ng NBA. Meron na pong fans,” said Go.

Meanwhile, Go mentioned that more vaccines are set to arrive in the country, including the one million additional doses of Sinovac vaccines that arrived on Sunday, and the upcoming two million doses of Pfizer vaccines from the COVAX Facility.

“Magiging 18 million na po ‘yan pagkatapos ng June. Kung hahatiin natin ‘yan ay aabot na tayo sa mahigit nine million ang mababakunahan. Sa ngayon po, lagpas na tayo sa five million Filipinos ang nabakunahan. Nakakatuwa ‘yun bagama’t maliit pa ‘yun ay mabilis po ang ating rollout,” he said.

Go added that the Philippines is one of the priority nations in Asia that will share seven million doses from the first tranche of COVID-19 vaccines the United States will donate globally.

“Top priority rin po ang Pilipinas na makatanggap ng excess doses sa US. Merong first 25 million doses na ipamimigay with seven million allocated for Asia at ayon sa ating embahada sa US, Pilipinas ang isa sa unang makakatanggap ng bahagi nito dahil sa malinis at transparent nating paghawak sa pandemya,” Go shared.

Meanwhile, Go commended the country for achieving the highest rate of vaccination in Southeast Asia and topping the COVID-19 Global Scorecard on Accountability. He added that the Philippines will see a stable supply of vaccines by July, per vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez, Jr.

“Number 1 po ang Pilipinas sa COVID-19 Global Scorecard on Accountability, ayon sa International Budget Partnership. Sabi ko nga noon, especially in times of crisis, every single peso counts lalu na sa panahon ng krisis dahil hirap tayo, hirap sa supply, hirap sa pera at dapat po, walang masayang na pera, walang masayang na bakuna at walang ma-expire,” he added.

He, then, urged all Filipinos to continue cooperating with the government in its fight against COVID-19 by maintaining their discipline in complying with health guidelines.

“Ang dapat lang pong gawin ng Pilipino ay makiisa po at makipag-cooperate dito sa kampanya laban sa COVID-19. So, disiplina pa rin po ang kailangan natin dito,” he ended.