The city government here is planning to set aside PHP10 million to PHP20 million for the purchase of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccines once a Food and Drugs Administration (FDA)-approved vaccine becomes available.

“Ito ay initiative ng League of Cities of the Philippines at makikisabay kami sa pag-purchase (This is the initiative of the League of Cities of the Philippines and we will go along with the purchase),” Mayor Julier Resuello said in an interview on Tuesday.

Resuello said priority recipients of the vaccines will be the front-liners.

“We want our health workers to be safe and protected while doing their duties and responsibilities,” he added.

Meanwhile, the city government opened on Monday its second isolation facility situated at the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) compound in Barangay Agdao.

The isolation facility is composed of five smart houses (room-type and fully-air conditioned) and six tent-type facilities.

Resuello said they will add 30 more units.

The first isolation facility is located at a gymnasium at the city proper.

“Ang serbisyong ito ng lokal na pamahalaan ay libreng matatanggap ng mga pasyenteng nabibilang sa mild at asymptomatic cases. Kabilang sa mga serbisyong ito ang libreng pagkain, routinary checkup at medication (The services will be given free by the local government unit to patients — mild and asymptomatic cases in the city. Among the services are free food, routinary checkup, and medication),” he said.

With 86 barangays, the city has the biggest number of barangays and population in the province.

Although the new cases are few as compared to that of other localities in the province of Pangasinan, Resuello said they cannot afford to be complacent.

He said those going home to San Carlos City are advised to secure all the needed documents otherwise, they will not be allowed entry to the city.

The city also employed 21 of the 50 contact tracers hired by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) last year but whose contracts as job orders ended on Dec. 31, 2020.

“We hired them dahil kailangang-kailangan din ang kanilang tulong. Panalangin namin na sana muling i-hire sila ng DILG dahil limitado ang aming budget (We hired them because they are much needed. We pray that the DILG would hire them again since we have a limited budget),” he added. (PNA)