Senator Joel Villanueva welcomed the inclusion of media workers in the government’s revised priority list of essential workers up for vaccination, but he maintained that vaccine supply should be assured as well.
“This updated priority list of essential workers is good news,” said Villanueva, chair of the Senate labor committee. “Those who keep the public informed are as essential as those who teach, transport, feed and protect us.”
“Ang listahan sa bakuna ay parang pong listahan sa ayuda,” the veteran legislator continued.
“Ang mahalaga ay maibigay po ito sa mga pangalang nakasulat. Ika nga, ‘the proof of the listing is in the injecting’,” the seasoned lawmaker added.
The senator underscored the importance of vaccinating essential workers, a call he spearheaded as early as January this year, saying that workers providing various services at essential establishments such as groceries, markets, public utilities, public transport, food manufacturing and retail, and now the media could continue their important functions in society.
“By vaccinating them, we end up being protected as well.”
“By vaccinating them, we end up being protected as well. But in the case of our essential workers, there is double protection. Aside from lives, livelihoods are likewise made safe,” he pointed out.
To achieve these vaccination targets, however, Villanueva said there should be adequate supply of vaccines or the country would just end up with a huge backlog of unvaccinated beneficiaries.
“For more people to be vaccinated, more vaccines must arrive.”
“For more people to be vaccinated, more vaccines must arrive. The supply must meet the demand,” he said.
“The commendable move to include more people in the priority list will be cancelled by the lack of vaccines. Without the latter, rising demand will only lead to huge backlogs,” Villanueva added.
“Let us hope that the reported production delays from vaccine manufacturers will not alter the delivery dates of the vaccines we have purchased,” he concluded.