Baguio to open vax hub for workers from nearby Benguet towns

By Liza Agoot  

BAGUIO CITY – The city government will set up a vaccination hub for workers in the neighboring towns of La Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan, Tuba, and Tublay (LISTT) in Benguet province.
    Mayor Benjamin Magalong said Wednesday they are converting the city as a vaccination hub to be able to help open up the economy of its neighbors.
    “Kailangan na rin natin tulungan ang ating mga kapitbahay especially the municipality na adjacent to Baguio sa vaccination (we already need to help our neighbor municipalities especially those who are adjacent the city in terms of vaccination),” he said.
    To reach this city, a traveler needs to traverse the five LISTT municipalities -- Sablan via the Naguilian Road, Tuba and Itogon via Marcos Highway, Itogon and La Trinidad via the Benguet-Vizcaya Road, La Trinidad and Tublay via the Halsema highway and the Benguet-Cervantes Ilocos Sur Road.,
    The five towns are among the 13 municipalities in the province of Benguet.
    Magalong said he had already informed the mayors of the LISTT municipalities regarding the measure.
    “Kapag malaki na rin ang na-cover natin doon, we will now shift to the members of their households so magtulungan na lang kasi iisang community lang tayo (after we have covered so much, we will shift to the members of their households. We need to help each other as one community),” the mayor said.
    Based on the Regional Vaccination Operations Center (RVOC) report on Oct. 12, the city leads the vaccination in the region with 141,612 of its eligible population, who have received the full dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.
    At least 208,966 persons already have their first dose of the vaccine and are waiting for the schedule of their second dose.     Some 20,772 also have received the single-dose vaccine.
    In the region, 404,875 persons have been fully vaccinated with either the two-dose vaccines or the single-dose brand.
    "We are leading in terms of vaccination and we have more capacity to get more vaccines, tutulungan na rin natin sila (we will already help them),” Magalong said
    He added that he has already informed the Department of Health-CAR and vaccine czar, Secretary Carlito Galvez, of the city’s plan to make itself a vaccination hub for near municipalities. -- PNA