A cold chain storage facility in Taytay, Rizal is now ready to house coronavirus vaccines, Mayor Joric Gacula said on Monday.

Gacula said the municipality of Taytay is ready to facilitate the storage and deployment of the vaccines as local government officials and municipal health officials visited and inspected the cold chain facility owned by the Royale Cold Storage Inc. in Barangay San Isidro.

“This is very suitable to the AstraZeneca vaccines and Moderna vaccines that were ordered by Taytay municipal government,” Gacula said in a social media post.

Gacula said the local government wants to ensure smooth preparation for the national immunization campaign.

“Handa na ang Taytay LGU sa pagdating ng bakuna (na) nagmumula sa syempre sa ating national government, ganun din ang bakuna na inorder ng ating LGU (The Taytay LGU is ready for the arrival of the vaccines ordered by the national government as well as the LGU’s vaccine orders),” he said.

The local government has initially allotted PHP300 million to augment the national government for the procurement of Covid-19 vaccines, he said.

Taytay also signed a tripartite agreement with the national government and pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca.

Gacula said the local government is also coordinating with the government and Moderna to acquire additional vaccines, as it is the most preferred brand of its residents.

During his visit, Gacula said the cold storage facility can accommodate around 28 million doses of vaccines that will require a temperature of up to negative 20°C.

“Kaya napili namin ito dahil ho unang-una, world class ang facility atsaka protektado ang ating bakuna dito na nakakatiyak tayo na hindi mapapaso ang bakuna (We chose this facility because our vaccines are protected from spoilage),” he said in an interview.

Gacula said the local government targets to inoculate around 370,000 residents.

He said some 70 nurses are now prepared to facilitate the municipal-wide vaccination program.

The local government is also readying its vaccination sites including observation rooms that will house patients after inoculation, he added.

Gacula said they are also set to establish an online monitoring system to observe possible reactions from the vaccinated residents.

He then urged residents to stay safe and observe minimum health standards while waiting for the arrival of the vaccines in the country. (PNA)