ILIGAN CITY (PIA)--The Local Government of Lala in Lanao del Norte offered free meals and transportation services to senior citizens going to the vaccination center to encourage their participation in the national government's coronavirus disease (Covid)-19 vaccination program.

Lala mayor Angel Yap said this VIP treatment for the elderly sector is a strategy of the LGU to entice them to get vaccinated.

"Ginawa namin nag ano (provide) kami ng sasakyan, kukunin sila dun sa barangay, tapos libre sila ng snacks pagdating, libre sila ng lunch, tapos ihahatid pauwi sa barangay nila," he said during the July 14 episode of the Network Briefing News with Communications Secretary Martin Andanar.

[What we did was we (provide) a vehicle, we would fetch them from the barangays then they would be given free snacks when they arrived, they also have free lunch, then they would brought back to their respective barangays.]

According to him, they are giving priority to senior citizens in the vaccination program as older adults are most vulnerable to Covid-19.

Yap said the VIP strategy yielded positive results as more elderly in the municipality have availed of the government's vaccination program. The provincial government of Lanao del Norte has also increased the vaccine allocation of the municipality from 350 to 600.

Meanwhile, Yap encouraged his constituents to always follow the minimum health protocols set by the government and to get vaccinated when their assigned schedule arrives.

He also called on them to unite and help each other for the betterment of the municipality. (APB/PIA-ICIC)