MANILA -- At least one city in the National Capital Region has now achieved 100 percent vaccination of their target population, as 70 percent of San Juan City’s population has been inoculated with a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
In an event that marked the vaccination milestone for the City of San Juan, held on July 12, 2021 at the Greenhills Shopping Center, Presidential Spokesperson Secretary Harry Roque Jr. said that San Juan City has already vaccinated 96,610 individuals or 112.18 percent of its population. Based on a Philippine Statistics Authority census, San Juan City’s population is 123,031, of which 70 percent is 86,122, said Secretary Roque.
Citing another census, the Palace official said, “Sang ayon po sa Asian Development Bank, ang populasyon po ng San Juan ay 132,512, ang 70 percent ay 92,759; ang naturukan na ng San Juan ay 96,610 or 104.15 percent.”
San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora said that beyond the 70 percent target population already given the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, the city government’s ultimate goal is to inoculate all residents of San Juan, including those who are working in the city.
It can be recalled that the first local transmission of COVID-19 in the Philippines was traced to an individual who has frequented a prayer hall in the Greenhills Shopping Center in San Juan. From then on, Zamora said that they have intensified their tracing, isolation, testing, and treatment, plus vaccination. Zamora added that the ultimate target is to achieve population protection in San Juan by end of August this year.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, who was also in the event, likewise commended San Juan City for achieving 100 percent first dose inoculation of its target population. Secretary Duque said that the achievement is impressive given that the local government unit’s target for inoculation is 92,858 individuals, but San Juan was already able to vaccinate 96,610 of its population.
“Muli po nating kino-congratulate ang San Juan dahil 100 percent na po ng kanilang populasyon ang nabakunahan ng first dose. At hinihimok po natin ang lahat ng syudad at munisipyo sa buong Pilipinas na sana sa lalong madaling panahon ay makamit din ang 100 percent na first dose,” Secretary Roque said.
During the press briefing that followed the event, Mayor Zamora said that the city was able to achieve the 100 percent first dose vaccination because of their online registrations that started as early as January this year, and by following a system that does not allow walk-ins.
Zamora added that with the addition of a third vaccination site in the city at the V Mall in Greenhills, the city will be able to vaccinate up to 5,000 individuals a day.
Meanwhile, Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez lauded the putting up of the 100 percent vaccination seals in the establishments in San Juan, which he said increases consumer confidence and encourages consumers to go out and go to these establishments. Lopez added that coupled with the Safety Seal program that allows establishments an additional 10 percent capacity, having workers who are fully vaccinated can greatly help in the nation’s economic recovery.
On updates in the national vaccination program, National Task Force Against COVID-19 Deputy Chief Implementer Secretary Vivencio Dizon reported that as of July 11, 2021, some 13.2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered nationwide. Dizon is confident that at the end of this week, the Philippines will be able to reach 14 million vaccines administered.
Secretary Dizon added that this means that for the first two weeks of July, the number of vaccine doses administered nationwide will reach more than four million doses. Dizon remarked that this would be the fastest vaccination and the greatest number of vaccine doses administered since the national vaccination program started in March 2021.
Also present in the said event in San Juan were San Juan City Representative Ronaldo Zamora, Architect Renee Bacani, Ortigas Land VP and Head of Ortigas Malls, other San Juan City Officials, and barangay captains of the City of San Juan. (OPS-PCOO)
