Manila Cathedral offered as Covid-19 vaccination site

The Manila Cathedral. INQUIRER file photo / RICHARD A. REYES

MANILA, Philippines — The Archdiocese of Manila has offered the Manila Cathedral to be one of Manila City’s vaccination sites as the local government unit (LGU) prepares for its mass inoculation program against the new coronavirus.

Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso said this was among the results of his meeting with Manila Archdiocese apostolic administrator Bishop Broderick Pabillo and other city and church officials on Tuesday.

Moreno said Pabillo told him that the Manila Cathedral can be used as a vaccination site from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays and that the city government may also tap Catholic schools to serve as areas for vaccination.

“We thank Bishop Pabillo and the leaders of the Church for offering us the cathedral as a vaccination site. Napakahalaga nito (This is really important) because we need inoculation spaces,” Domagoso said in an interview with reporters.

According to Moreno, the Manila Cathedral will now be incorporated into Manila City’s vaccination roadmap.

He added that medical frontliners in the city will be inoculated within three days once the LGU receives the Covid-19 vaccines approved by the national government. Other priority groups in the city include senior citizens and those from vulnerable sectors such as informal settlers.

Meanwhile, Pabillo also urged the public to trust in the vaccination program.

“Sana po ang mga tao ay huwag po matakot sa vaccination, sa vaccine, dahil ito ay makakatulong po sa atin upang makaiwas po at mapalakas ang ating sarili at hindi tayo masyadong ma-infect ng sakit na ito,” he said.

(I hope the people will not be afraid of vaccination because this will help us prevent being infected with the new coronavirus.)

Moreno earlier said the city government plans to set up at least 18 mass vaccination sites that would operate seven days a week.

He added that a vaccination site should be able to accommodate 1,000 persons a day, which means all 18 sites should be able to serve 18,000 individuals daily.

The LGU has already conducted simulation exercises for the Covid-19 vaccination program to determine possible issues that may arise in the actual inoculation.

KGA