CALOOCAN CITY, (PIA) -- The Office of Vice President Leni Robredo teamed up with the Quezon City Government to launch its Vaccine Express initiative on Thursday.

The first leg of Vaccine Express – Quezon City will be open until August 13, 2021 at the Robinsons Novaliches Open Parking. It caters to jeepney and tricycle drivers and operators, as well as to delivery riders based in the city.

All vaccinees must pre-register under the LGU’s system. Aside from the first dose of the vaccine provided by the LGU, each will receive a post-vaccination care kit, a P500 gift check for groceries, and various items courtesy of OVP’s Angat Buhay partners.

VP Leni and Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte visited the site on Thursday morning to personally supervise the activity and to thank the medical professionals and students who volunteered for the undertaking.

Both officials underscored the importance of vaccinating drivers and delivery riders.

“Ang exposure kasi ng ating mga drivers talagang malaki—ang exposure nila sa mga customers, sa mga restaurants na binibilhan nila ng pagkain, sa pang-araw-araw na pakikibaka nila sa paghanapbuhay (Our drives are high risk to exposure, their exposure to their customers, to the restaurants where they buy food),” VP Leni said.

“Nakikita natin na bawat oras na nagtatrabaho sila, napakahalaga para sa pagbuhay ng pamilya nila. So kailangan talaga silang proteksyunan (We really need to protect them, we see every hour they spent working is important for their family's survival),” she added.

For her part, Mayor Belmonte said: “Tricycle and jeepney drivers and the delivery riders have to get vaccinated because they ferry our workers to work and deliver their food and essentials especially during this ECQ. It protects them, passengers and customers, and their families from infection.”

Belmonte also expressed her gratitude to the Office of the Vice President and Robinsons Malls for this partnership vaccination rollout as it hastens distribution of vaccines among its residents.

The LGU’s QCProtekTodo Vaccination Program has administered more than 1.8 million first and second vaccine doses as of August 11, 2021. Out of the total, 67.43% of the 1.7 million target population have received their first dose while 39.81% or more than 630,000 individuals have received their second doses.

Vaccine Express – Quezon City is part of the OVP’s continuing efforts to provide support to local government units in further expanding their vaccination efforts.

The initiative is also made possible by the generosity of private sector partners—Robinsons Novaliches, UBE Express, Puregold Price Club Inc., Integrated Waste Mgt., Inc.; Smart Communications, Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Ramesh Trading Corporation, Equilibrium and Curve Collaborators, Pioneer Adhesives, Fruitas Holdings Incorporated, Mate Mate, and other Angat Buhay partners—as well as by some 400 volunteer doctors, nurses at medical students.

Also assisting the OVP and Quezon City LGU are members of the 525th Engineer Combat Battalion of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ 51st Engineer Brigade, and the city’s Task Force Disiplina. (QC PAISD/PIA-NCR)