BACOLOD City – The League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP) welcomed the decision of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging and Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) for approving their request to make local chief executives (LCEs) a priority, too, for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination.
“Such a move recognizes the important roles of LCEs in the success of the country’s vaccination program. We commit to reciprocate the trust and confidence of the IATF to city mayors with more active and responsive vaccination efforts in our respective localities,” the LCEs said in a press statement.
The LCEs will belong to Priority Group A1 (Workers in Frontline Health Services, specifically under Priority Group A1.5).
On March 29, Mayor Evelio Leonardia, LCP national president, wrote to IATF chairman Secretary Francisco Duque of the Department of Health (DOH) requesting the reclassification of LCEs as priority A1 in the vaccination program.
On April 13, DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire maintained the classification of city mayors as Priority A4 or frontline personnel in essential sectors in her letter addressed to Leonardia.
On March 31, Leonardia wrote directly to President Rodrigo Duterte, appealing for such.
In the same letter, it was highlighted that such reclassification would be a “win-win strategy” for the country’s fight against COVID-19.
On April 5, the chair of the National COVID-19 Vaccination Operations Center, DOH Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje, issued Advisory No. 26 allowing the vaccination of LCEs in high-risk areas.
Leonardia continued to reach out to Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary Epimaco Densing, Secretary Vince Dizon and Secretary Carlito Galvez, Jr., appealing for the inclusion of all city mayors to the A1 category.
On May 15, Cabotaje issued Advisory No. 40, including local chief executives, governors and mayors, as Head of the Local Health Board and as Chair of the Local Task Force Against COVID-19 in Priority Group A1.
The 146 members of the LCP welcomed the development and thanked the President and members of the IATF for their wisdom and foresight with this decision./PN
