The Department of Education (DepEd) in Region 12 (Soccsksargen) is pushing for the inoculation against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) of more teachers and other personnel in the coming weeks in line with the full rollout of the mass vaccination for the general adult population.

Dr. Carlito Rocafort, director of DepEd-Region 12, said a total of 16,135 teaching and non-teaching personnel in the region’s four provinces and four cities are now fully vaccinated as of Thursday.

He said the figure represents 36.33 percent of the 44,410 personnel in its eight school divisions and other offices and units.

The official said some 20,990 others or 46.26 percent are currently waiting for notices from rural health units for the administration of their second doses.

“There are 7,285 teachers and non-teaching personnel who have registered for the ongoing vaccination rollout but there are still others who have not yet registered,” he said in a report.

Rocafort said they have been continually campaigning for the vaccination of their personnel, especially the teachers, to help the government achieve the targeted population protection level by the end of the year.

He acknowledged that they need to have majority of their teachers be fully inoculated against Covid-19 in preparation for the possible resumption of the traditional face-to-face classes.

President Rodrigo Duterte, through the national Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, earlier approved the DepEd’s recommendation to start the pilot limited face-to-face classes on Nov. 15 in selected areas in the country.

In Region 12, at least three public elementary and two secondary schools are being prepared by DepEd-12 for the classroom-based classes.

These are the Bato Elementary School in Makilala and Paco National High School in Kidapawan City, North Cotabato; Ned National High School in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato; Nelmida Elementary School in Koronadal City; and, Aspang Elementary School in this city.

Rocafort said they are making sure that all teachers in the participating schools are fully vaccinated by the start of the pilot classes as required by the DepEd central office and the Department of Health.

They expect other public schools in the region to also have their teachers ready and encourage them to be fully vaccinated, he said.

“It is our responsibility to get vaccinated against Covid-19 to protect our families, friends, and eventually our learners,” he said. (PNA)