ILOILO City – Vaccination is an act of love, according to Archbishop Jose Romeo Lazo of the Archdiocese of Jaro. He is appealing to the public to participate in the three-day nationwide vaccination drive starting today until Dec. 1.
To show support to the campaign, all church bells will ring at 8 a.m. today to mark the start of the three-day activity, said Lazo.
“Let us support this endeavor and be one showing this very act of love to others,” the archbishop added.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP)-Episcopal Commission on Health Care (ECHC) encouraged devotees to participate in the nationwide inoculation drive by:
* helping promote COVID-19 vaccination in the community (with proper, evidenced-based vaccinations facts);
* encouraging more people to avail themselves of the COVID-19 jabs;
* collaborating with local government units in the use of church spaces for the vaccination drive; and
* encouraging church workers to volunteer for vaccination activities.
CBCP stressed that the people have the free will to get vaccinated or not.
However, it said, those who choose not be vaccinated “should be aware of their obligation to protect themselves and others” against COVID-19.
“Entrusting all our endeavors to the protection of Our Blessed Mother, La Candelaria, I pray for the safety and tranquil progress of our community,” Lazo said.
Western Visayas targets to inoculate 1.2 million people in three days.
Director Adriano Suba-an of the Department of Health (DOH) in Region 6 said mass vaccination could be the “only and most effective” way to end the war against the viral disease.
Here are the targets set by the DOH for each province and highly urbanized city:
* Aklan – 79, 521
* Antique – 115, 217
* Capiz – 133,576
* Guimaras – 28, 699
* Iloilo province – 338, 716
* Negros Occidental – 516, 807
* Bacolod City – 66,171
Iloilo City was not included in the list because it has already reached 119 percent vaccination accomplishment (first dose coverage).
As of Nov. 22, data from DOH-6 showed 2,618,208 individuals in the region received at least one dose of an anti-coronavirus jab while 1,957,023 were fully vaccinated.
Here are the vaccination accomplishments (first dose) of each province and highly urbanized city:
* Aklan – 266,133
* Antique – 162,564
* Capiz – 266,016
* Guimaras – 72,472
* Iloilo – 650,336
* Iloilo City – 371,213
* Negros Occidental – 560,395
* Bacolod City – 269,077/PN
