Vaccination against COVID-19 is the most necessary requirement today for the Philippines to achieve economic stability and normalcy, Senate Majority Floor Leader Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri said Saturday, December 12.
Zubiri, who was in Bacolod City, said it is the number one priority of the Senate that has allocated P82.5 billion in the 2021 budget for mass COVID-19 vaccination in the country.
This will cover 25 million Filipinos, he said, with priority to be given to health workers and their families, senior citizens and frontliners.
The private sector led by Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion is also buying 3 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, one half of which will be donated to government and the other half will be for the use of their employees, he added.
“Our economy is dropping so fast, it’s contracting,” Zubiri said in stressing the urgency for the vaccines to arrest the spread of the virus.
He said the vaccines will be placed in centers of the Philippines such as Bacolod, Cebu, and Metro Manila.
Zubiri was among the first COVID-19 patients of the country and was listed as patient 142.
The senator, who tested twice for the virus, said COVID-19 will hit when one least expects it no matter how careful one is.
He stressed the need to always follow health protocols such as social distancing, handwashing, and wearing of masks to avoid being hit by the virus, and to be especially careful over the holidays.
“Let’s not let this virus beat us, we will beat this virus we just need to think smart and stay alive because the vaccines are coming,” Zubiri said.*