The government will speed up the vaccination drive in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) with the first shipment of Sputnik Light, a variation of the two-dose Sputnik V jab.

National Task Force (NTF) Against Covid-19 chief, Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., said Friday the BARMM has the lowest vaccination rate so far, with less than 11 percent of its target population fully vaccinated to date.

The BARMM covers the cities of Cotabato, Lamitan, and Marawi; the provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Sulu, Basilan, and Tawi-Tawi; and the 63 villages in six towns of North Cotabato.

Of its target 2.9 million for vaccination, a total of 324,246 or 10.85 percent of the goal, have been fully vaccinated, based on data released on November 15.

The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP), which Galvez also heads, has been instructed to augment the vaccination drive in the region.

“Tutukan natin ang (We will focus on) BARMM this coming vaccination days. I already gave instructions to my OPAPP personnel to take care of the BARMM,” Galvez said in an interview as he welcomed the arrival of 2,805,000 doses of the Russian jabs and 5,000 doses of the single-dose version, Sputnik Light.

The nationwide vaccination days will be held from November 29 to December 1, aiming for at least five million vaccinees.

The NTF will visit the region on December 1 to supervise the vaccination program and “make sure that vaccine hesitancy in the area will be addressed as soon as possible,” Galvez said, adding that the government may deploy 5,000 doses of the Sputnik Light to BARMM.

“And we are very happy that we are renegotiating again for the Sputnik Light,” he said.

The Philippines has so far received 10 million doses of Sputnik V jabs (Components I and II). (PNA)