Bakuna by the Sea to protect tourism workers, reopen industry

DAVAO City, July 2 (PIA)—The vaccination roll out dubbed as “Bakuna by the Sea,” went on its third day with the objective of protecting the tourism workers from COVID-19, in the pursuit of the new normal and to start the reopening of the industry.

GeneroseTecson, City Tourism Officer said the vaccination roll out started June 30 for the tourism sector in the location that is conducive to the theme which is the tent of the Waterfront Insular Hotel.  

She thanked the management of the Waterfront Insular Hotel, for supporting the activity by sponsoring the logistics for the vaccination and also recognized the efforts of the Davao Tourism Association and other tourism associations, for providing the manpower, time, water and food to ensure that the vaccination roll out would proceed. 

Tecson aimed to vaccinate 14,000 from the tourism sector and allied services.

She recalled that as of June 30, more than five hundred tourism workers were vaccinated, 808 yesterday and 750 vaccinees to be targeted today. 

“Volunteers want to finish the vaccination roll out the soonest time possible in preparation for the second jab,” Tecson said. 

She said the vaccination roll out of the tourism sector caters to hotels down to the utility workers, housekeeping, and guards and the members of the media, being an integral part of tourism being the herald of the goings on in the industry. 

Tecson underscored that the tourism workers must pre-register through the link provided by the management of establishments under the tourism industry. 

“Walk-ins will not be accommodated,” Tecson said.

She said the people respect this scheme and prodded on the tourism workers to bring along their respective certificates of employment. 

Dr. Anthony Sales, director of the Department of Science and Technology XI and president of the Association of Regional Executives of the National Agencies disclosed that upon the request of Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, the government employees will be one of the clusters that will organize a vaccination roll out in the city, aimed to have more vaccination sites, and more workers will be vaccinated. 

He said that under the ARENA XI, 16,000 government employees are targeted to receive the jabs from more or less 80 government agencies in the city. 

“By the end of this day, we have a total of 2,000 government employees vaccinated,” Sales said.  He revealed that the city has pledged to give the ARENA another three thousand doses of vaccines. 

Sales said the recipients of the vaccination roll out are the government employees from the national agencies, government-owned and controlled corporations and state colleges and universities, Land Bank and the Development Bank of the Philippines.

Sales also clarified that they follow the prioritization of vaccinees according to the guidelines of the IATF from A1, A2 and A3 and when these sectors are through, then the vaccination roll out with the A4 and A5 goes on. 

He said A2 vaccination is already through while the A3 vaccination will end today and the A4 category is currently done simultaneously. 

Sales reasoned that by the end of July, everyone in the government receives the first dose.  (PIA XI-Joey Sem G. Dalumpines)