VAX FOR TOURISM WORKERS. DOH-7 epidemiologist Dr. Junjie Suazula administers a Covid-19 vaccine jab to a tourism worker at the Oakridge Business Park in Mandaue City on Friday (Sept. 24, 2021). National Task Force against Covid-19 chief implementer Sec. Carlito Galvez Jr., deputy implementer Vince Dizon and DOT Secretary Bernadette Puyat witnessed the ceremonial inoculation of the tourism workers. (Photo courtesy of OPAV)
CEBU CITY – Vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. on Friday said the ongoing inoculation of tourism workers in Cebu province against coronavirus disease (Covid-19) will pave the way for the recovery of the industry by increasing the related establishments' operational capacity.
Some 10 hospitality and tourism workers like hotel attendants, kitchen crew, and car rental drivers received their vaccine jabs from Department of Health (DOH-7) chief pathologist Dr. Mary Jean Loreche and regional epidemiologist Dr. Junjie Suazula during a ceremonial inoculation at the Visayas Vaccination Operations Center inside the Oakridge Business Park in Mandaue City.
Apart from Galvez, Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Bernadette Puyat, Covid-19 testing czar Vince Dizon, and Alfred Reyes, head of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Cebu, also witnessed the administration of the Covid-19 jabs.
In his speech, Galvez noted that as of Sept. 17, about 50 percent of tourism workers in the cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu have already received their Covid-19 jabs.
He also said about 90 percent of the tourism front-liners in these localities who are working in isolation and temporary quarantine facilities and multiple-use hotels have been inoculated.
“By providing our workers here in Cebu with an extra layer of protection against the virus, they will have more confidence to return to their jobs, which, in turn, shall encourage tourism operators to increase their operational capacity and result in an economic revival here in the province,” Galvez, who is the National Task Force against Covid-19 chief implementer, said.
He said the national government draws its confidence from the fact that the country has now been receiving a steady supply and larger volumes of Covid-19 vaccines from various manufacturers.
As of Sept. 22, he said close to 66 million vaccine doses have already been delivered to the country.
Recognizing Cebu as one of the country’s top tourist destinations because of its world-class marine attractions, historic sites and cuisine, Galvez said higher vaccination rates here would translate to increased confidence in traveling, which, would entail the revival of businesses.
Puyat, on the other hand, said her office is working to soon achieve a 99-percent vaccination of tourism workers in Cebu.
“That is the only way we can restart tourism. All over Asia, yung nakakabukas lang na (those that are allowed to open) tourism destinations are 99 percent or more vaccinated. So that’s what we want,” she said in her speech.
Dizon cited the “assistance of the private sector” not only in the government response against Covid-19 but also in its effort to inoculate the populace in order to reach the desired population protection in the province.
Meanwhile, in an interview, Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Secretary Michael Lloyd told the Philippine News Agency that Cebu is fortunate to have the business sector working side by side with the government.
He cited the Project Balik Buhay headed by Edmun Liu and his wife, Anne, as well as the city government of Cebu for bringing the convergence of various stakeholders in confronting the challenges resulting from the pandemic. (PNA)
