DAVAO CITY, July 12 (PIA) - Aside from tourism workers, the members of the media in Davao City were also vaccinated at Bakuna by the Sea which ran from June 30 to July 10.
Based on the organizer's data, around 190 media persons coming from print, radio, television and online content creators registered and were vaccinated at the seaside vaccination site.
Bakuna by the Sea is a vaccination program aimed to inoculate around 9,000 to 14,000 tourism workers with COVID-19 vaccines. The program was organized by the City Government of Davao, the private sector led Davao Tourism Association (DATA), and the Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao which on the occasion of their 60th anniversary provided the logistical counterpart of the vaccination program including the use of their Grand Pavilion.
The Philippine Information Agency Regional Office (PIA XI) facilitated the inclusion of the members of the media in the vaccination.
DATA president Gatchi Gatchalian said the tourism sector recognizes media as partners in the tourism industry, thus, the quick approval of the request and coordination by the Philippine Information Agency for the inclusion of the media vaccination at Bakuna by the Sea.
The City Health Office had approved a request from PIA-XI to provide vaccines for the media on the condition that they would provide the vaccine site which DATA had acceded.
“The media sector played an important role of communicating to the public developments in the industry. The City Government of Davao recognizes that the tourism industry is one of the most hit by the pandemic and vaccinating tourism work force this early will help us prepare to restart the economy. In times like this we were able to prove that we can work together towards common goal,” Gatchalian said.
The DATA prexy said media was also involved in Bakuna by the Sea by helping promote the vaccination program and also combating vaccine hesitancy and disinformation among the tourism sector thru information dissemination.
“Media worked with DATA together with Waterfront as part of its 60th Anniversary, and other tourism organizations to ensure we inoculate workers from the different tourism sectors - hotels, resorts, restaurants, travel and tours, transport, wellness, academe and allied services,” Gatchalian said.
Members of the media in Davao City who were vaccinated were thankful of the vaccination coverage provided to them by Bakuna by the Sea.
“Isip communication frontliner mapasalamaton ko sa hingpit nga nabakunahan ilabi na nga padayon ang pagsaka sa kaso sa COVID-19 sa Rehiyon. Pinaagi sa bakuna maprotektahan ang akong pamilya ug mga tao palibot kanako, (As a communication frontliner I am thankful that I was part of those vaccinated especially that cases of COVID-19 is rising in the region. Thru the vaccine I can protect my family and people around me)” says radio reporter Rodel Natad who was one of the media vaccinees at the Watefront vaccination site.
Online content creator Lovely Consing-Boiser, a member of the Davao Digital Influencers who availed of the vaccination, praised the Bakuna by the Sea as very orderly and relaxing.
“You get ushered in all the eight steps in the vaccination process. Medical staff was enough to cater around 1,000 vaccinees that day. The bonus? Free snacks post-vaccine. Thank you for organizing this vaccination program, City Government of Davao, Davao Tourism Association! Thanks also to PIA Davao Region for including the Davao Digital Influencers,” Boiser said in her blog.
The Bakuna by the Sea has vaccinated nearly 7,000 individuals and is slated to extend for two more days the first dose vaccinations to accommodate more from the tourism and media sectors. (PIA/RG Alama)
