SENATOR and chair of the Senate Committee on Health Christopher “Bong” Go assured that the government would prioritize the inoculation of public utility drivers, including bus, jeepney and tricycle drivers, in order to revive the hard-hit transportation sector and help jump-start the economy.
After giving aid to 1,516 members of the Tricycle Operators and Drivers Association in Quezon City on Wednesday, February 3, he explained in an interview that public utility drivers should be included in the priority list of essential workers as they have been hit hard by the pandemic and are experiencing a decline in income because of loss of livelihoods.
“Unang una, [medical] frontliners, senior citizens … tapos mga indigent. Halos lahat dito ‘isang kahig, isang tuka’. ‘Yun ang priority natin, ang mga taong kailangang lumabas ng bahay,” Go said.
“Kasama rin ang [public utility] drivers dahil sila ang nangunguna sa transportasyon. Paano sila babalik sa normal nilang pagmamaneho kung ‘di sila nababakuna? Kasama sila sa essential workers ng ating lipunan” he added.
The national government aims to vaccinate 50 to 70 million Filipinos in order to achieve population or herd immunity against the coronavirus this year.
“Ito naman pong pagbabakuna ng national government in coordination ito with LGUs … well-coordinated dapat ‘yan para walang malimutan, walang makaligtaan, lalo na po ang mga mahihirap nating kababayan,” said Go.
“Mayro’n tayong tinatawag na road map sa pag-implementa ng vaccine. And I’m sure lahat naman ng LGU may data ‘yan up to barangay kung sino po ang mga tao,” he explained.
Go acknowledged that while government is doing its best, much work still needs to be done, especially with regard to raising awareness and public confidence in the vaccination plan.
“Marami pang takot sa ngayon kaya dapat patunayan ng gobyerno na ang bibilhing bakuna ay safe at effective para makuha natin kumpiyansa ng taumbayan. Gusto nila magpabakuna pero nagtutulakan ang mga ‘yan. Kapag nakuha na natin ang kumpiyansa … sigurado kami na tuloy-tuloy ang pagbabakuna dahil sino ba naman ang hindi gustong bumalik sa normal ang pamumuhay?” asked Go.
“Bakuna lang po ang pag-asa natin para makabalik sa normal na pamumuhay,” he emphasized.
