Senator Christopher “Bong” Go on Tuesday appealed to vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. to include in the priority list for Covid-19 vaccination Filipino athletes and other delegates who will be competing in the Tokyo Summer Olympics and the Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi this year.

In a statement, the chair of the Senate committee on sports said Galvez responded positively to the appeal, adding that they are studying how the competing athletes can be prioritized alongside, and without prejudice, to other sectors that have been identified as top priority for vaccination, such as front-liners and those belonging to poor and vulnerable sectors.

“Bandila ng Pilipinas at dangal ng lahing Pilipino ang itatanghal ng ating mga atleta sa mga palarong ito. Dapat lamang na bigyan din natin sila ng sapat na proteksyon(Our athletes represent the Philippine flag and honor of the Filipinos in these competitions. It is only proper to give them enough protection as well),” Go said.

Citing the previous SEA Games held in the Philippines, Go noted that athletes brought pride to the country and gave Filipinos a sense of unity as the country emerged overall champion.

“Noong nakaraang 2019 SEA Games, naging kampeon ang Team Pilipinas dahil sa suporta ng buong sambayanang Pilipino. Nagkaisa ang gobyerno, pribadong sektor, at ordinaryong Pilipino para ating mga atleta (In the past 2019 SEA Games, the Team Philippines won the overall title because of the support of the Filipinos. The government, private sector, and ordinary Filipinos united for our athletes),” he said.

He said now that the athletes need again the support and protection, “ibigay muli natin ang suportang kailangan nila hindi lamang sa oras ng kanilang kompetisyon, kundi pati na rin sa kanilang preparasyon at panahon ng kanilang pangangailangan (let’s give again the necessary support not only during the competition but also in the preparation).”

Go also said this is not merely about competition but is also a source of livelihood for athletes and other sports professionals, especially those who come from poor communities.

“Intindihin po natin na maraming nawalan din ng kabuhayan at lahat ‘yan ay may mga pamilyang pinapakain. Kasama na diyan ang mga atleta, coaches at trainers na matagal na tumigil ang kabuhayan dahil sa Covid-19. Kapag nabakunahan sila, hindi lang ito para sa kompetisyon kundi para rin sa kabuhayan nila (We should understand that many have lost livelihoods and they have families to feed, including our athletes, coaches, and trainers who stopped earning because of Covid-19. Once they get vaccinated, it is not only for competition but for their livelihood),” he said.

In a letter addressed to Galvez, the Philippine Sports Commission also requested for national athletes to be provided with Covid-19 vaccines once they are available.

“The members of the national team are among those high risk to the virus’ threat given their required qualification competitions held in various parts of the globe,” the PSC said in the letter. “With this, we see the urgency of asking for your help in giving protection to our elite pool of athletes playing for the flag despite the present global health crisis.”

Currently, national athletes are preparing for the Tokyo 2021 Olympics where they hope to bag the country’s first gold medal. They will also be participating in the 2021 SEA Games in Hanoi, Vietnam to defend the Philippines’ championship title, and the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games to be held in Thailand in May next year.

“Amid the hardships we all bear and which we work hard to overcome, now, more than ever, we need more reasons to be united as one people and win as one nation,” Go said. (PNA)