(File photo)
MANILA – The government is still waiting for a representative from the Nayong Pilipino Foundation (NPF) to sign the memorandum of agreement on developing the property into a mega vaccination site, a health official said Monday.
“The proposal and the plan are there already. Gagawin na talaga iyan. Ang inaantay natin ngayon ay mapirmahan ang (It will be done. We’re just waiting for the signing of the) memorandum of agreement,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in an online media forum.
“Hanggang ngayon, nag-aantay tayo na may pipirma dahil alam naman natin 'yung kanilang head ay nag-resign at nag-aantay tayo ng bagong kapalit (Until now we’re waiting for someone to sign [the agreement] because as we all know their head resigned and we’re waiting for a new head),” she added.
Over the weekend, National Task Force (NTF) Against Covid-19 spokesperson Restituto Padilla said the plan included the establishment of a storage facility with the mega vaccination site.
However, the NPF board previously shunned the idea because allegedly 500 trees will have to be cut which has been denied by officials.
Apart from the NPF, Vergeire said the government is also looking into converting spacious parking lots for use as mega vaccination sites.
“Kausap na po natin ang (We’ve spoken to the) private sectors and all of them are very much willing to help, big hospitals and even malls will be utilized for us to have mega vaccination sites,” she said.
“Ang isa pang proposal nung nakaraang linggo na ibinigay ng National Immunization Technical Advisory Group is to use the churches because in churches po well-ventilated daw po ang lugar ng malalaking simbahan at baka makatulong rin sa pagbabakuna natin (The proposal the other week which was presented by the National Immunization Technical Advisory Group is to use the churches because these are well-ventilated and they can help with the vaccination activities,” she added.
NTF data show there are 1,371 active vaccination sites nationwide as of May 21. The seven-day average of doses administered through these sites reached 1,137,591 with a daily average of 162,513 jabs per day. (PNA)
