MANILA, Philippines — A lawmaker is appealing to the national government to include workers in the construction sector in the higher priority group for COVID-19 vaccination since they, too, are considered as frontliners.
Construction Workers Solidarity (CWS) party-list Rep. Romeo Momo Sr. on Tuesday said that while construction workers are not directly fighting the spread of COVID-19,“they are in the main front of our efforts in battling the economic devastation brought about by the pandemic.”
“My call to our highly respected Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. is to include our beloved construction workers to a much higher category on the government’s priority list for COVID-19 vaccination program,” Momo said in a statement.
“The hard working men and women of our construction sector are extraordinary essential workers, they are the country’s economic frontliners,” he added.
According to Momo, workers in the construction sector are helping in the country’s battle against the economic impact of the pandemic as they “served as the backbone” in the Build, Build, Build program of the national government.
“Time and again, works in the construction industry both on the private and government sides are among the important tools in propelling every country’s economy, thus amid the national health crisis we are experiencing right now, it is important that construction and implementation of various infrastructure projects must continue unhampered,” Momo said.
“Our very productive construction workers are our economic frontliners as well, they are one of those who will bring about the very much needed economic recovery and growth of our country, that is why they must also be given protection against the virus,” he added.
Under the national government’s priority list for vaccination, frontline health workers are in the highest A1 category, followed by senior citizens (A2), and persons with comorbidities (A3).
Meanwhile, other essential workers are included in the “B category.”
B1: teachers, social workers
B2: other government workers
B3: other essential workers
B4: socio-demographic groups at significantly higher risk other than senior citizens and indigenous people
B5: overseas Filipino workers
B6: others in the remaining workforce