Ilocos LGU to raffle off house, lot for vaccines

By Eva Visperas

DAGUPAN CITY— “Get vaccinated and have the chance to win not just sacks of rice or discounts in restaurants, but a house and lot package.”
    This was the announcement of the municipal government of Santa in Ilocos Sur to persuade residents to get vaccinated against COVID.
    Mayor Jesus Bueno Jr. said the municipal government would raffle off a house and lot for those who will get themselves inoculated.
    The house will be built in a property in Barangay Labut Norte, Bueno said.
    The raffle draw will be held on Dec. 16 and is open only to vaccinees who belong to the poorest of the poor.
    The property, where the house will be built, is part of Bueno’s inheritance from his family.
    He said he would use his personal money to pay for the construction of the house, especially the cost of labor.
    The town has quarry sites, which could supply sand and gravel needed for the construction, Bueno said.
    He said he would ask suppliers of construction materials to trade in supplies needed for the house.
“    The primary concern will be the cost of labor and I am willing to shoulder it using my personal money,” Bueno said.
    The house for the lucky vaccinee will have two bedrooms and a  kitchen. It will cost about P300,000, Bueno said.
    “I am not rich. I just wanted to help,” he said, adding he wanted to motivate people to get vaccinated to prevent the spread of the COVID virus.
    “The purpose of this is to encourage our constituents to get vaccinated and defeat COVID,” Bueno said.
    He said he wanted people to focus more on the benefits they would get for supporting the government’s vaccination program.
    Bueno was inspired by a similar offer made by the city government of Las Piñas to also convince its people to get vaccinated.
    “It’s OK to adopt the best practices of other local government units. We are also doing it here,” he said.
    The municipal government will evaluate the list of those who have received the vaccines and those who have yet to be inoculated to ensure that only the poorest of the poor will win the house and lot.