A HIGH-RANKING official of an organization of barangays in Davao City urged all barangay officials in the city’s 182 villages to submit themselves for vaccination on or before November 15.
Bankerohan Barangay Captain Edgar Ibuyan Sr., who is also president of the Liga ng mga Barangay-Davao City chapter, revealed in a radio interview that barangay officials from 29 barangays, including the chairman and councilors, are reportedly unvaccinated.
He said these include those barangay officials who could not be contacted because they live in far-flung areas.
Ibuyan reiterated that all barangay personnel must be vaccinated against Covid-19 to contribute to the city’s target to reach the 1.2 million herd immunity.
He admitted that there are barangay personnel who remain apprehensive about receiving the Covid-19 vaccine even months after the government’s immunization program started.
He added that no less than Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio issued a directive that barangay officials should take the lead in the vaccination efforts by getting themselves vaccinated first to boost the confidence of their constituents.
“Maghimo mi og (We will be issuing a) memorandum… As per advise sa atong (of our) Mayor nga kinahanglan ang mga barangay officials nga maoy mag-una [sa vaccination] (all barangay official should lead in the vaccination by having themselves vaccinated),” Ibuyan said in an interview on 87.5 FM Davao City Disaster Radio.
He added that he will ask for the list of fully vaccinated officials and also include in the memorandum members of the Sangguniang Kabataan.
The local government targets to vaccinate 1.2 million people, comprising 70 percent of the city’s total population, by the end of this month.
The Liga president revealed that they were also given the directive to achieve herd immunity within barangays before the end of November.
With this, the vaccination drive will now be brought to the puroks so that people will no longer line up at vaccination sites. This, s after the local government noted a slow pace in its vaccination drive.
As of October 28, the Davao City Vaccination Cluster reported a 64.2 percent vaccinated against the target population to achieve herd immunity for the first dose, or 882,818 administered, while 788,001 were fully vaccinated after receiving their second dose.
Meanwhile, the Davao City Government has given all of its employees until November 30, 2021 to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19.
This developed after the mayor issued Executive Order 45 on September 16, mandating the vaccination of all City Government employees, including plantilla, job order, contract of service and volunteers for Covid-19.
The EO, signed by Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, states that all employees must be fully vaccinated.
“Department heads and chiefs-of-offices, through their respective administrative officers, shall ensure that all personnel assigned in their offices are fully vaccinated on or before November 30, 2021,” it said.
The EO stated it will be the responsibility of the Human Resource Management Office (HRMO) to ensure and coordinate with the Davao City Covid-19 Task Force Vaccination Cluster in organizing and scheduling the vaccination of all city government personnel.
Administrative officers of various City Government offices are required to submit to the Personnel Benefits and Welfare Division of HRMO the list of personnel to be included in the vaccination schedule.
Employees who do not get vaccinated on their scheduled vaccination date shall be required to submit a written explanation to the HRMO.
The EO states that personnel who refuse to get inoculated with the Covid-19 vaccine will be sanctioned.
Plantilla personnel who refuse to undergo vaccination will be held administratively liable for insubordination and will be penalized by suspension of one month and one day to six months for the first offense; and dismissal from the service for the second offense, pursuant to Section 50 (d) of the 2017 Rules on Administrative Cases In The Civil Service (2017 RACCS).
For job order, contract of service and volunteers, the City Government will prioritize hiring those who are fully vaccinated.
“The HRMO is tasked to monitor and validate the vaccination of all City Government of Davao personnel. Names of the personnel shall be validated by the HRMO with the Covidd-19 Task Force Vaccination Cluster Data Management Team,” the EO states.
But the City Government provided exemptions.
“A personnel may be exempted from the mandatory Covid-19 vaccination if his/her name is endorsed by the Vaccine Cluster Head to HRMO as exempted due to medical reason that is listed as a contraindication in all the available vaccines,” section 4 of the EO stated.
Duterte-Carpio said in a recent radio interview that City employees were already given enough time for them to be vaccinated as they fall under Priority Group A4.
