PIA Davao Region

DAVAO CITY, Oct. 7 (PIA) – With an all-time high positivity rate of 34.5% in September 2021 now down to 22.19%, the Department of Health XI cited commendable interventions done in the previous weeks to control the COVID-19 surge in Davao Region. “We have recorded the highest positivity rate of 34.5% sometime in September and now we have recorded a decreasing positivity rate which is at 22.19%,” DOH XI head of the Surveillance and Epidemiology Unit Dr. Rachel Pasion announced in the latest DOH Virtual Presser. The DOH XI attributed the decrease on transmission of COVID-19 cases to the implementation of quick granular lockdown done by the local government units. An improved and better information dissemination was also observed which led to the change in people’s behavior who are now more conscious in following the minimum public health standards. More people have also translated behavior change by submitting themselves for vaccination. In the DOH daily bulletin as of October 6, the regi

DAVAO CITY, Oct. 4 (PIA) - The Department of Health XI announced in their recent virtual presser  that all individuals aged 18 years and above and are not included in the Priority Groups 1 to 5 are now encouraged to go to the nearest health center for registration in preparation for their vaccination schedule. DOH XI official Dr. Raquel Montejo bared that the hospitals and vaccination sites still continue in accommodating eligible population under Priority Groups 1 to 5, however, other individuals not included in these groups may now register in order to get a schedule for vaccination. Meanwhile, the DOH XI clarified that Davao Region is not yet opening hospitals and vaccination sites for the COVID19 vaccination of minors aged 12 to 17 years old. The DOH confirmed earlier that pediatric vaccination will start among 12 to 17 years old with comorbidities. However, the government is still testing the prepared guidelines in selected hospitals and LGUs. “So far, this directive is still bein

Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio (right standing) and Senator Sherwin Gatchalian (left) at the Bakuna by the Sea DAVAO CITY, Sept. 28 (PIA) – The local government of Davao City is now in discussion on implementing another strategy to speed up the vaccination program by offering incentives in exchange for getting vaccinated.   Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte bared in a radio program over Davao City Disaster Radio that the LGU is  now discussing to prepare two vaccination centers which may start to provide incentives.   Mayor Sara opted not to announce these vaccination centers yet as procedures on how to go about it is not yet finalized.   “Understandable naman pud gud ang incentivizing nato karon kay naan a ta sa point na ang mga dato dili na sila muadto sa vaccination sites kay mas importante sa ila ang ilang pang-adlaw adlaw. Our incentives will be directed at that,”  the mayor said.   The incentives may be in the form of food or gift certificate.   “We’ll try that in some of our vaccination

  DAVAO CITY, Sept. 27 (PIA) – The local government unit of Digos City has required the city LGU’s personnel including the plantilla, job order, contract of service and COVID-19 volunteers to undergo a mandatory vaccination. The LGU has issued Executive Order No. 40, Series of 2021 on September 24, 2021.   The said EO took effect on the same day, and gave the LGU personnel until November 30, 2021 to be fully vaccinated as sanctions may take place.   Atty. Marty Basunillo, Digos City LGU acting administrator, said the order aims to promote the vaccination program and attain herd immunity.   In a press conference on September 24, Basunillo discussed the status of COVID-19 in the city as well as the EO where sanctions are set for those who will refuse to get vaccinated for some unjustifiable reason.    He cited that for the plantilla personnel, sanctions will be suspension for one to six months for the 1 st  warning and dismissal of service.   The LGU may terminate the contract of job ord

D AVAO CITY, Sept. 24- (PIA)-  The City Government of Davao is set to launch Bakuna Nights, vaccination program which will be held on nighttime in a bid to vaccinate people who are not available on daytime.   In an interview at the Davao City Disaster Radio, Dr. Michelle Schlosser, spokesperson of Task Force COVID-19 Davao City said they have opened Bakuna Nights on September 23.   “ Naa na tay Bakuna Nights though technically we are doing pilot testing so tan-awon nato ang reception sa mga tawo, ( we will look at the reception of the people),” Schlosser said.   The vaccination sites will be open 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. with the pilot area at San Roque Elementary School located in Barrio Obrero.   Schlosser said the daytime vaccination will cater to those with schedule while 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. will be open to walk-ins belonging to A4 sector.   She said the first night of the pilot testing they were able to vaccinate 588 people.   Schlosser said with the la

DAVAO CITY- People are making their way to fourth floor of Gaisano Mall, one of the popular malls here in Davao City. The people going up are not your regular mallgoers, the fourth floor is the access way to the mall’s The Peak area which in its heyday during pre-pandemic time hosted restaurants and coffee shops.   The pandemic forced many shops to close, the mall management decided to convert these vacant spaces into a vaccination site. The vaccination site at The Peak is organized by the Stella Maris Academy of Davao Alumni Association (SMADAA) and was intended for vaccinees belonging to the A4 sector. The organizers had named the vaccination project as One Good Jab. “It was a brainchild of a Marisian and a Gaisano Mall executive. They wanted vaccines to be available to Dabawenyos, that it would be very accessible and as much as possible it would not be overcrowded,” says Ana Caguiat, the vaccination executive manager and a member of the SMADAA Vaccination Program Executive Commi

D AVAO CITY- Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio personally thanked visiting Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, representing the Gatchalian family for sponsoring the Bakuna by the Sea Vaccination Site situated inside the family-owned  Watefront Insular Hotel Davao. Senator Gatchalian and Mayor Duterte-Carpio on Friday (Sept. 17) toured the vaccination site dubbed as the most beautiful vaccination site in the country as it is located inside a picturesque seaside garden. Bakuna by the Sea which started as a vaccination hub in June this year, has inoculated over 14,000 tourism industry workers in Davao City and the adjacent provinces. It was realized thru the partnership of the City Government of Davao, Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao and the tourism industry stakeholders led by the Davao Tourism Association (DATA). “I wanted to personally thank the Gatchalian family thru Senator Sherwin sa malaking tulong nila sa Davao City kasi yung ginawa nilang Bakuna by the Sea hindi basta basta yun, they a

DAVAO CITY, September 16 (PIA) – Dabawenyos who got vaccinated in Davao City may start generating their digital vaccination certificate starting September 20. Guesting in the One Davao Virtual Presser, Engr. Albert Gabriel of the Department of Information Communication Technology (DICT) Mindanao Cluster 3 announced that vaccinated citizens can access directly the digital certificate through a self-service portal. “This means that anyone who has a laptop or computer at home may just visit the portal and they can easily download, save, and even have their vaccination certificate printed,” Engr. Gabriel said. The digital vaccination certificate or VaxCertPH is a project initiated by the DICT which is mandated through RA 11525 to develop digital systems and applications to meet the objectives of the COVID19 Vaccination Program. The Digital Vaccination Certificate (DVC) is used to  represent the COVID-19 vaccination status of a citizen of the Philippines and non-Filipino citizens vaccinated

DAVAO CITY, July 6 (PIA)- “Bayanihan” is the age-old Filipino custom of communal unity, people working hand-in-hand to achieve a common goal. And this was witnessed in the recent Bakuna by the Sea, a vaccination program intended to inoculate an estimated 9,000 tourism industry workers in the city.   The gargantuan task was made possible thru the efforts of the City Government of Davao particularly its attached offices such as the City Health Office and the City Tourism Operations Office in partnership with the Davao Tourism Association, a private organization of tourism stakeholders plus the mammoth generosity of Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao.   Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao to meaningfully celebrate its 60 th year provided the venue and major logistical counterpart in conjunction with DATA which is composed of various tourism and allied businesses in the city.   DATA was able to gather several tourism industry associations to bond as one cohesive unit.  The participating industry

DAVAO CITY- “Working as a hospitality sales professional in Davao, most of our work we are exposed to different people, face- to-face transaction is a primary requirement so I decided to get the vaccine to protect myself, not just myself but my family, friends and colleagues at work and at the same time to protect our valued clients,” said Francis Gevin Morales who was the among the vaccinees at the vaccination program for tourism workers in Davao City which formally started June 30. Francis was the first of the 500 vaccinees for the launch held at the seaside Grand Pavilion of the Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao.  The resort-themed Bakuna by the Sea was organized thru a public-private partnership spearheaded by the City Government of Davao, the private sector led Davao Tourism Association and the Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao. The hotel provided the venue and counterpart logistics for the vaccination site as a way of celebrating its 60 years in Davao City. Apart from the hotel other e

DAVAO CITY, June 30 (PIA) – About 10,000 government employees in Davao City are set to get inoculated starting today and is expected to run in the next three weeks. The Davao City Government called for interested sectors to help in the roll out of the national vaccination program. As the Davao City LGU is in the process of completing the vaccination for the A1, A2, and A3 Priority Groups, it has also allowed sectors to establish additional vaccination sites specific to cater their respective sector. The Association of Regional Executives of National Agencies XI (ARENA XI), being the organization of the different heads of offices, orchestrated the establishment of two vaccination sites including the gathering and training of vaccination team who are volunteers from the different member agencies of the ARENA XI. “We also thank the University of Southeastern Philippines (USEP) and the University of the Philippines (UP) Mindanao for serving as host site in the vaccination. These two site a

DAVAO CITY, July 24 (PIA)- Imagine getting yourself vaccinated amidst the sight of swaying coconut palms and feeling the soothing caress of sea breeze blowing from the Davao Gulf. You are also listening to relaxing piped-in bossa nova music while waiters on the side are ready to serve refreshments.   This concept of a vaccination experience is being realized as the City Government of Davao together with the private sector is readying a seaside vaccination site dubbed as “Bakuna by the Sea” (Vaccination by the Sea) and is intended to serve the tourism workers in Davao City.   “Nag-partner ang private sector plus ang city government of Davao in order to establish the vaccination program for the tourism sector,” Davao City Tourism Operations Office head Generose Tecson said describing the joint effort which has led to a tropical beachside resort themed vaccination site.   The vaccination site is the Grand Pavilion of the Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao. A historical landmark in the city, W