Some 1,279 construction and manufacturing workers in the province received their first dose of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccine on Friday at the Pangasinan Training and Development Center II here.
The vaccination program is part of the “Reform. Rebound. Recover: 1M Jobs (1MJ) Project” of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) under the National Employment Recovery Strategy (NERS).
In his message, DOLE Secretary Silvestre Bello III said the program aims to boost the economic recovery of the province and country amid the adverse impact of the dreaded Covid-19.
“Kailangan nasa mabuting kalagayan kayo. Kailangan labanan natin ang Covid-19 na ito dahil nag-iba na ang ating pamumuhay (You must be in good health. We should fight Covid-19 because it has changed the way we live),” he said.
In an interview, Provincial Health Office chief Dr. Anna Ma. Teresa de Guzman said the program aims to inoculate a total of 12,000 individuals in the province.
“Hindi lang mga construction workers, engineers at architects ang babakunahan natin, pinapayagan din natin yung mga walk-in (Not only construction workers, engineers, and architects will be inoculated, we also allow walk-in clients),” she said.
Meanwhile, 29-year-old construction worker Jomar Espinoza Pritos, of Bayambang town, said he immediately grabbed the opportunity when learned that he will get vaccinated.
“Kailangan ko ng bakuna dahil kailangan para sa trabaho. Hindi naman ako natakot dahil para ito sa proteksyon ko para makapag-hanapbuhay (I need to be vaccinated because it is for my work. I was not afraid to be inoculated because this will serve as my protection while I work),” he said.
Technical Educational Skills Development Authority (TESDA) director-general Isidro Lapeña was also present during the program.
He encouraged the participants to avail themselves and enroll in various courses that TESDA offers such as masonry, carpentry, electrical installation, and other training.
“Libre ang mga iyan at may allowance pa araw-araw na PHP160, kaya kung wala kayong ginagawa, mag-training na kayo sa TESDA (These are all free and you will receive PHP160 allowance daily, so if you have free time go and train with TESDA),” he said.
Governor Amado Espino III thanked DOLE as well as TESDA and other national government line agencies for bringing to the province the programs that are beneficial for the recovery of Pangasinan amid the pandemic.
Source: Philippines News Agency