Bacolod City is the most prepared local government unit (LGU) among cities and provinces in Western Visayas, based on their COVID-19 vaccination plans submitted to the Department of Health- Western Visayas (DOH-6).
With a rating of 75.9 percent, Bacolod has the “highest readiness” among LGUs in the region, followed by Capiz at 53.4 percent, and Iloilo province at 43 percent, according to DOH-6 infectious disease cluster head Dr. Mary Jane Roches Juanico.
Upon learning of the assessment, Mayor Evelio Leonarda said, “This is an inspiring surprise. We simply submitted our Vaccination Roadmap without knowing there was a DOH ranking system. Our unity and teamwork is paying off. I thank Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran and the councilors for their support. City Administrator Em Ang and the Vaccination Council members are laudable. We continue to appeal for the cooperation of our people in the implementation of our vaccination program.”
DOH’s readiness assessment was based on various thematic areas which include planning, budgeting, prioritization and targeting, system capacity for handling cold chain, logistics and ancillary supplies for COVID-19, service delivery capacity, surveillance response, and demand generation activity.
Leonardia said that Bacolod’s COVID-19 Vaccination Council – one of the first by an LGU in the country – was established on December 22 last year to prepare for the mass vaccination, which will be conducted through public-private partnership.
According to the mayor, there are currently 27 identified public vaccination sites in the city. But if the private sector’s offer to set up 13 additional sites is added, there would be a total of 40 sites.
Residents must register to be vaccinated, either online or in barangay offices:
Link:
tinyurl.com/bcdceironline
