Include teachers in priority groups for COVID-19 vaccination, says Gatchalian

MANILA, Philippines — Teachers should be included in the prioritized groups for the roll-out of the vaccine against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said Wednesday.

Gatchalian, who chairs the Senate committee on basic education, arts, and culture, said that giving teachers the COVID-19 vaccine would help ensure the safety of school premises and in building confidence for the gradual resumption of face-to-face classes.

Aside from teachers, Gatchalian said non-teaching staff and school administrators should also be prioritized in the vaccination.

“Dahil ang ating mga guro, mga punong-guro, at kawani ng mga paaralan ay nagsisilbing mga frontliners sa pagpapatuloy ng edukasyon, nararapat lamang na mabilang sila sa mga unang makakatanggap ng bakuna laban sa COVID-19,” Gatchalian said in a statement.

The senator said more than 900,000 teachers and non-teaching staff have been serving as frontliners to ensure learning continuity for more than 22 million learners despite the ongoing pandemic.

Gatchalian added that teachers also risked their health and safety by distributing learning materials used by almost 87 percent of public school learners during the preparation for the implementation of distance learning.

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier approved the conduct of a dry run of face-to-face classes in select schools in areas deemed low-risk to coronavirus transmission for the whole month of January 2021.

Classes resumed nationwide on Oct. 5 with schools utilizing distance learning modality— a combination of online and modular learning—as campuses stay closed and physical classes remain suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

JE