The League of Cities of the Philippines thanked President Rodrigo Duterte and the national Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging and Infectious Diseases (IATF- EID) Saturday for including local chief executives under the Priority Group A1.5 in the on-going National Vaccination Program.
The LCP, in a statement issued Saturday, said “such a move recognizes the important roles of LCEs in the success of the country’s vaccination program.”
“We commit to reciprocate the trust and confidence of the IATF to city mayors with more active and responsive vaccination efforts in our respective localities,” it added.
Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia, LCP national president, on March 29 wrote to IATF Chairman and DOH Secretary Francisco Duque requesting the reclassification of LCEs as priority A1 in the vaccination program, the statement said.
On April 13, DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire maintained the classification of city mayors as Priority A4 or frontline personnel in essential sectors in her letter addressed to Leonardia.
On March 31, Leonardia wrote directly to the president appealing for the reclassification of LCEs as Priority A1, the statement said.
In the letter, he highlighted that such reclassification would be a “win-win strategy” for the country’s fight against COVID-19.
On April 5, the chair of the National COVID-19 Vaccination Operations Center, DOH Undersecretary Myrna C. Cabotaje, issued Advisory No. 26 allowing the vaccination of LCEs in high-risk areas.
Leonardia continues to reach out to DILG Undersecretary Epimaco Densing, Secretary Vince Dizon, and Secretary Carlito Galvez, Jr., appealing for the inclusion of all city mayors to the A1 category, the statement said.
On May 15, the chair of the National COVID-19 Vaccination Operations Center, DOH Undersecretary Myrna C. Cabotaje, issued Advisory No. 40, including local chief executives, governors and mayors, as heads of the Local Health Board and as chairs of the Local Task Force Against COVID-19 in Priority Group A1, the statement added.
“The 146 cities are delighted with this new development and warmly thanks President Rodrigo R. Duterte and the members of the IATF for their wisdom and foresight with this decision,” the statement said.*