The BIDA Solusyon advocacy campaign pushing a behavioral change for people to adopt the standard health protocols, has been expanded to cover government’s massive vaccination drive against COVID-19.
“Mask, Iwas, Hugas plus Bakuna. That is why it’s now BIDA Plus. We won’t be able to fully fight COVID-19 unless we combine the four,” Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Director General Ramon Cualoping explained in a recent press conference held in the City of Mati, Davao Oriental.
Cualoping was with Davao Oriental Provincial Governor Nelson Dayanghirang and Provincial Interagency Task Force on COVID-19 action officer Dr. Reden Bersaldo who also asked media practitioners and government information officers to help the government make people understand the crucial importance of vaccination to curb COVID-19 spread of infection.
“Ang pinaka dako nga challenge in the rollout of the vaccination is unsaon pag convince sa mga tawo nga magpabakuna. Kani atong gibuhat karon, maski dili tanang pangutana, at least a certain percentage natubag namo.
Together with the Department of Health, the entire Philippine government communication arm headed by the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) has waged BIDA Solusyon since last year to emphasize the letter B which stands for “Bawal ang walang facemask”; I for I-sanitize ang mga Kamay; D for Dumistansya; and A for Alamin ang tamang Impormasyon.
As Health authorities still recommend observance to the mandatory health protocols while waging massive COVID-19 vaccination, the communication drive to fight the pandemic adds on the vaccination. The unified BIDA Solusyon Plus campaign thus hoists the message to go for ““Mask, Iwas, Hugas plus Bakuna”, Cualoping explained.
On top of his provincial sorties to wage the enhanced BIDA Solusyon Plus , Cualoping assured private media practitioners and government information officers to conduct online Media Information Literacy.
He also committed to send to private and government media practitioners, the BIDA Solusyon Plus Information Toolkits providing them the necessary information regarding government response to COVID-19
“It is incumbent upon us to keep on telling and sharing the good news,” he told media practitioners and government information officers whom he referred to as “purveyors of information”.
Cualoping estimated the media literacy training to happen by end of February projecting the national rollout of COVID-19 vaccination program to start early March in anticipation of the delivery of AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines.
Meanwhile, Cualoping said the Philippine Government observes “neutrality”, and that it has not favored any single vaccine to use in waging massive COVID-19 vaccination.
The national government has talked with several manufacturers based in the United States, United Kingdom, Russia, India and China, among other countries to negotiate for vaccine supply but Cualoping assured that vaccines are from manufacturers given with Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the Food and Drugs Administration of the Philippine government.
He also assured that all vaccines used in the vaccination drive shall have undergone “rigorous evaluation” of the panel of experts from the Department of Science and Technology and from FDA Philippines.
(Jeanevive Duron Abangan, PIA XI | Michael Manguhig, RPN DXKT Davao OIC)
