OCTA: Stick to plan in vaccinating NCR Plus 8 amid limited supply

MANILA, Philippines — The OCTA Research Group on Tuesday appealed to the government to stick with the plan in prioritizing the so-called NCR Plus 8 in the vaccination as vaccine supply remains limited.

OCTA fellow Dr. Ranjit Rye said this amid the government’s plan to deploy over three million doses of the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccines across the country, with at least 100,000 doses per region.

“The key to success, short- to medium-term success, is to stick to a plan. Meron na tayong blueprint e, yung NCR Plus 8. Sana hindi mabahiran ng pulitika, ng mga iba ibang influences yung ating plan. If we stick to that plan, the country will move forward,” Rye said in a televised briefing when sought to comment on the government’s plan.

(The key to short- to medium-term success is to stick to a plan. We already have a blueprint, the NCR Plus 8. I hope the plan won’t be affected by politics and other influences. If we stick to that plan, the country will move forward.)

The NCR Plus 8 comprises Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, Metro Davao, Bulacan, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Pampanga, and Rizal.

With the limited supply of COVID-19 vaccines, Rye stressed the government should make each jab count by administering it to the priority areas.

“Ang NCR Plus 8, pag nagfocus ang gobyerno yan, hindi niya lang tinutulungan ang NCR Plus 8, tinutulungan niya yung bansa kasi babagsak ang COVID cases sa lugar na yun, mabubuksan ang ekonomiya sa mga lugar na yun at yung effect ng dalawang bagay na ito, will have impact all over the country,” Rye said.

(If the government focuses on the NCR Plus 8, it will not only help NCR Plus 8 itself but the entire country because COVID cases in that area will decrease, we can reopen the economy. These two things will have an impact all over the country.)

The Philippines has so far fully vaccinated 3.5 million persons against COVID-19 in the country.

Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said the government is eyeing to double this number to 7 million by the end of July.

EDV