CEBU CITY, June 29 (PIA) -- Recognizing that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is highly contagious and poses a dangerous threat to the people, participants from the municipalities of San Remigio and Daanbantayan in northern Cebu gave their full commitment to support the National Deployment and Vaccination Plan for COVID-19.

During the Resbakuna Town Halls on COVID-19 Vaccine Deployment Plan conducted in San Remigio and Daanbantayan on June 8 to 9, respectively, the participants signed the pledge of commitment manifesting their support in the campaign on vaccination against COVID-19.

The participants were composed of barangay captains or barangay councilors, barangay health workers, and chapter heads of the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) and senior citizens who vowed to act as champions in disseminating the correct information on COVID-19 vaccines to their respective barangays and communities. 

San Remigio Mayor Mariano Martinez, in his welcome message, urged his constituents that while the government has vaccines in stock, they should take advantage of this opportunity and get vaccinated.

"Aron maabot ta og herd immunity, kinahanglan gyud tag 60 to 70 percent unya kung muabot na gani ta ani, makabalik na gyud tag normal nga panginabuhi sa atong lungsod ug gali sa atong tibuok nasud. Di pa gani ta kaabot ana, di gyud ta mubalik sa normal (For us to reach herd immunity, we need [to vaccinate] 60 to 70 percent and if we reach that, we will be able to go back to our normal lives here and in the country. If we are unable to reach that, we won't go back to normal)," said Martinez. 

"Muhangyo gyud ko sa atong mga kaigsuonan nga kung pwede magpabakuna mo. Ako humana man ko. So hopefully, kamo like me, musunod napud mo nako (I urge our brethren, if possible, get vaccinated. I am already vaccinated. So hopefully, you would follow me)," he added.

For his part, Daanbantayan Mayor Sun Shimura shared how the Filipino people, particularly the senior citizens, have been constantly praying the Oratio Imperata for protection against the virus and for the medical experts working daily to develop a vaccine against COVID-19.

"We have been praying for more than a year. Kahinumdom mo, inig human sa misa muluhod 'ta for Oratio Imperata batok COVID-19. Apil diha (I remember how we would always kneed down after the mass to pray the Oratio Imperata against COVID-19. That includes) 'guide the hands and minds of our medical experts that they may minister to the sick with competence and compassion and of those government and private agencies that they may find cure and solution to this pandemic'. And now that it is here, nangahadlok na ang mga senior citizens, nakalimot sa ilang gisimba, sa ilang gi-ampo sa Ginoo (the senior citizens are afraid. They forgot what they prayed for in church)," said Shimura. 

The Philippine Information Agency in Central Visayas (PIA-7) in partnership with the Department of Health-7 and the Department of Interior and Local Government-7 have been conducting the Resbakuna Town Hall in all cities and municipalities of Cebu province.

The PIA 7-initiated activity aims to "explain, explain, explain" to the public at the grassroots level the COVID-19 Vaccine Deployment Plan which will empower the barangays to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 by disseminating the right information to its residents and boost their confidence and uptake of vaccines. (Ileana Cortes/PIA7)