AFP, PNP camps to become vaccination sites for gov’t, economic frontliners

MANILA, Philippines — The government will use police and military camps as COVID-19 vaccination sites for government and economic frontliners, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said Tuesday.

During President Rodrigo Duterte’s pre-recorded public address aired on Tuesday morning, Galvez said the government eyes to open up the COVID-19 vaccination to essential frontliners (A4 priority group), which is composed of government frontliners and economic frontliners, in the last week of May.

Government includes uniformed personnel like police, military, and personnel of the Bureau of Fire Protection, and those working in customs and immigration.

“Ino-organize natin na lahat ng mga kampo saka ‘yung bases ng mga pulis at saka ng military na gagawin nating bakunahan ng ating mga government frontliners,” Galvez said.

(We are organizing all police and military camps and bases to be used as vaccination sites for government frontliners.)

“Maganda ‘yung kanilang mga grandstand at saka ‘yung kanilang open field. Pwede natin gamitin ‘yun kasi ang laki ng area ng ating mga kampo,” he added.

(Their grandstands and open fields can be used for vaccination sites because the area is huge.)

Duterte earlier said he wants to use police stations and military installations as vaccination sites in rural areas.

Galvez said the target population under the A4 priority group stands at 12 million.

“Ito ‘yung malalakas na tao. Ito ‘yung magda-drive ng ating economy at the same time, ito ‘yung magprotect ng government institution kasi kung hindi sila proprotekahan, hindi magiging full ang services natin sa ating mga mamayan so equally important ‘yun,” he said.

(These people will drive our economy and protect our government institutions. If these people are not protected, our services will not be fully operational.)

JPV