Members of the Coordinated Operations to Defeat Epidemic (CODE) or CODE Team commended the vaccination and deployment plan presented by the local government of Davao City during their visit on Feb. 16.
Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte welcomed the CODE Team led by National Task Force Against COVID19 Chief Implementer and Vaccine Czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr, Health Secretary and IATF Chair Secretary Francisco Duque III, Cabinet Secretary of the Philippines Secretary Karlo Alexei Nograles, Presidential Spokesperson Secretary Harry Roque Jr.
Davao City Health Officer Dr. Ashley Lopez presented to the team the Vaccine Deployment Plan, including the creation of the vaccination committee and the series of simulation exercises done to prepare for the arrival and the actual roll out of the vaccines.
Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte personally listened to the National Action Plan while Dr. Lopez presented to the team Davao City’s COVID 19 Situationer and Deployment and Vaccinational Plan.
“We look forward to the arrival of the vaccines, the inoculation of Dabawenyos, and achievement of herd immunity for while we do not know when this pandemic will end, we are at least certain that soon we may finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.”
In the plan, the local government showed that on its priority list is the frontline health workers which numbers to 16,667; on second and third priority are the 77,189 senior citizens; on fourth priority are the 432,549 indigent population; and on fifth priority are 5,258 uniformed personnel.
The CODE Team members commended the said vaccination plan.
“Malinaw na aligned ang plano ng Davao City LGU sa national grand vaccination plan. All the elements of our plan are clearly laid out. I congratulate Mayor Sara Duterte for her depth orchestration for the creation of the Davao City Vaccination and Deployment Plan. Napakamalinaw ng plano,” said Secretary Duque III.
He also congratulated the City of Davao and the LGU for reversing the trend in their COVID19 cases in Davao City.
“We would appreciate it if that trend continues. There is no room for complacency because the virus can always come back and often times comes back with a vengeance if we become complacent,” Duque said.
Other CODE Team members after joining the walkthrough at the Southern Philippines Medical Center as one of the vaccination sites, lauded the simulation exercises.
“Kami ay nagpapasalamat sa ginawang simulation exercises in the different vaccination hubs. Lahat ng mga detalye ay plantsado. As to the preparation of Davao City, it is excellent. It is an example and a benchmark,” said Secretary Nograles
Vaccine czar Secretary Galvez described the SPMC preparation for the vaccination roll out as laudable. He commented that even up to the smallest details like the storage of used syringes have been considered during the simulation exercise.
He also noticed the photobooth with sign “I Just Conquered Fear” as a unique practice to further increase the willingness of Filipinos to getting inoculated.
(Dir. Frances Mae Macapagat | Michael Manguhig, RPN DXKT Davao OIC)