Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia said on Friday, November 12, that he is confident the city government will meet its goal to inoculate 100 percent of its target population by December 2021.
Leonardia cited the assessment of the Department of Health in Western Visayas echoed by Regional Director Adriano Suba-an, who congratulated the mayor Thursday when he paid him a courtesy visit because Bacolod has already posted a 50 percent vaccination rate.
“We are on our way to herd immunity,” said Leonardia, who joined frontliners from the Emergency Operations Center-Task Force and COVID-19 Vaccination Council, both headed by Executive Director Em Legaspi-Ang, and the City Health Office led by officer-in-charge Dr. Edwin Miraflor, Jr., during the Vac-to-School campaign to administer jabs to students, faculty, non-teaching personnel and parents of La Consolacion College community.
Updated real time data released by the EOC-TF, through Miraflor, showed that Bacolod’s vaccination numbers already breached a little over the 50 percent mark, a press release for the Bacolod City Public Information Office said.
Miraflor said that EOC and CoVAC’s target population for vaccination is 424,992 as of November 9.
A total of 269,741 Bacolodnons already received jabs with 235,392 getting at least one dose on top of the 34,349 receiving the single-shot J & J vaccine, Miraflor said.
Based on the target population, 50 percent is at 212,496, data showed
Approximately 625 were inoculated at LCC.
“This is the first time that we had our on-campus vaccination for students who are younger than 18,” LCC Vice President for Research and Innovation Rodjhun Navarro, said.
The LCC community, Navarro said, is happy of the turnaround in their (vaccination) advocacy since launching the campaign last week.
“The turnout today speaks for itself, especially the changing mindset of both the students and parents with regards to vaccination,” he intimated.
He thanked the city government, as well as Dr. Chris Sorongon, EOC-TF deputy for medical, data analysis and management, and Miraflor for their continued effort to fight the virus.
“We really appreciate the efforts for reaching out to schools like ours,” Navarro said.
Seventeen-year-old Lady Margarette Oracion said she decided to get vaccinated to prevent the spread of the virus.
She also thanked the LGU and her school for the program that will “vaccinate a lot of people so that we can help stop the pandemic.”
“Now I feel much safer after getting vaccinated. I also encourage everyone to not be afraid to get vaccinated because the government will not use the vaccine if it is not safe for the people” Oracion added.
Ryna Tuma-ob, 41, and her daughter, Angel Mae Cardenas, were also vaccinated onsite.
“We got vaccinated for our safety and for our health. I feel happy now because we are safe,” Tuma-ob said after getting her dose.
The vaccination drive also accommodated personnel and students from LCCs sister school at Gardenville Subdivision and Isabela town.
To avail of the free vaccination of Bacolod City, residents may register online via tinyurl.com/bcdceironline.
More than 600 students and personnel of St. John’s Institute were also inoculated Friday at the Monsignor John Liu Acitivty Center.
“According to DOH, we are way above the average of the national vaccination program. We are very happy with that but we will not stop here,” Leonardia said.
“Our target is 100 percent. We will see to it, if possible, all of Bacolod City will be vaccinated. But we can only do that with the cooperation of everyone,” Leonardia added.
Also assisting Ang, Sorongon and Miraflor was Dr. Laarni Pornan, who also heads the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office.
Joining from SJI side were School Principal Dr. Mariedel Isulat, Vice Principal Nelsie Bravo, PTA president Gold Ponce, SJI faculty and staff; and PTA members.
Some 2,283 students and staff of Bacolod Tay Tung High School (225), St. Scholastica’s Academy (393), Riverside College (505) and Colegio San Agustin Bacolod (560) were also vaccinated earlier this week.*