ALMOST 500 workers in the construction sector recently received their first dose of Covid-19 vaccine during the simultaneous inoculation rollout headed by the Department of Labor and Employment Region 7 (Dole 7) in the cities of Mandaue and Dumaguete, the first identified local government units (LGUs) to host the project.
About 179 workers received their vaccination in Mandaue City while some 263 workers got their jabs at the Robinsons Place Dumaguete and Brgy. Pulantubig covered court in Dumaguete City on Sept. 24, 2021.
The number of workers to be vaccinated is expected to rise in the coming days as the vaccination program is still ongoing, according to Dole 7 regional director Salome Siaton.
Siaton said this endeavor is in line with the commitment to facilitate vaccines for workers under the “Reform. Rebound. Recover: 1 Million Jobs for 2021” project of Dole, the National Employment Recovery Strategy Task Force and the Employers Confederation of the Philippines, which aims to source Filipino talents for deployment in economically active industries to help create jobs nationwide.
Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, in a news release on Aug. 25, stated that construction and manufacturing workers should be considered as frontliners for constituting the backbone of the country’s economy. The labor chief said he acknowledges challenges in vaccine supply but it was also necessary to allocate portion for workers contributing to the economy.
Siaton asked the stakeholders to religiously reinforce the implementation of public and health standards and protocols in the workplace since there is no room for complacency in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
Vaccination in Dumaguete City Dole Negros Oriental Field Office chief Marites Mercado said an additional 54 construction workers received jabs on Sept. 25.
“This will be a series of vaccination sessions until the 10,000 target workers get their Covid-19 dose,” Mercado added.
Meanwhile, Dumaguete City Mayor Felipe Remollo thanked Dole for looking after and prioritizing the safety of the city’s construction workers considering the role they play in maintaining the economy despite the pandemic.
Vaccination in Mandaue City
Dole Tri-City Field Office chief Emmanuel Ferrer stated that the Philippine Contractors Association, with the Cebu Contractors Association Inc. as its member, signified its intention to avail of the inoculation program in Mandaue City in support of the project.
Ferrer also thanked the Department of Health 7 for granting the request for vaccine allocation and the LGUs of Mandaue City and Dumaguete City through their Public Employment Service Offices, their local IATF and City Health Offices for administering the vaccination.
Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes, on the other hand, expressed his appreciation for the program in the hope of economic recovery stating, “Ang laban sa usa, laban nato tanan!”
Siaton lauded this endeavor to boost protection for workers in Region 7’s manufacturing and construction industries.
“We hope the combined efforts of all stakeholders will enable us to implement more vaccination programs essential to start economic recovery and restore normalcy in the lives of the Filipino people,” she said. (PR)