The trust and confidence of the public in the government’s Covid-19 vaccination program will increase with the recent inclusion of local chief executives (LCEs) in its priority list.

Pasay City Mayor Emi Calixto-Rubiano, who received her first dose of AstraZeneca on Monday, thanked the national government for allowing LCEs to be prioritized.

“Gusto ko pong pasalamatan ang ating mahal na Pangulong Duterte dahil pinayagan niya na mabakunan ang mga mayor at gobernador sapagkat malaking bagay po ito para maipagpatuloy namin ang pagsi-serbisyo sa mga tao na walang pangamba na mahahawa kami ng virus (I would like to thank our beloved President [Rodrigo] Duterte because he allowed the vaccination of the mayors and governors. It would be a huge help for us to continue providing services to the people without fear of getting infected with the virus),” she said.

Rubiano said the move would also encourage more local residents to sign up for vaccination.

“Ngayong nakita niyo na nagpabakuna na ako, inaasahan ko na sana ay sumunod na rin kayong lahat upang sabay-sabay na tayong makabalik sa dating normal nating buhay (Seeing me being inoculated, I hope you would do the same so that we can go back to our normal lives),” she said.

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) first proposed the inclusion of mayors and governors in high-risk areas in the Covid-19 vaccine prioritization list.

Rubiano assured Pasay City is committed to continuously work with the national government to respond to the prevailing health crisis, particularly in containing the emergence and transmission of new variants.

Pasay City has so far inoculated 8,095 healthcare workers, 635 senior citizens, and 428 persons with comorbidities. (PNA)