National Policy Against Covid-19 chief implementer and vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. on Wednesday lauded Taguig City as a model city in terms of its effective response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

“Ang inyong siyudad ay isang napakagandang ehemplo na maaring pagkunan ng inspirasyon at pamarisan ng ibang mga lokal na pamahaalan sa buong bansa. Natitiyak po namin na isa ang Taguig sa mga lugar na mabilis na makakabangon mula sa pandemyang ito (Your city is a great example that can be a source of inspiration and example for other local governments throughout the country. We are confident that Taguig is one of the places that will recover quickly from this pandemic),” Galvez said during the city’s Covid-19 vaccination dry run at the Lakeshore Mega Complex.

Galvez added Taguig was among the first cities in Metro Manila to launch a drive-thru Covid-19 testing facility early last year and is among the local government units in the National Capital Region that has the lowest number of active cases, with only five cases per 100,000 residents.

“This is a testament to the outstanding leadership shown by Mayor Lino Cayetano and the proactive strategy of your local government to contain and mitigate the spread of the virus,” Galvez said.

Earlier this month, Taguig joined 38 other LGUs in signing a tripartite agreement with the national government and pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca to purchase Covid-19 vaccines.

This, Galvez said, demonstrates the city’s commitment not only to protecting its people against Covid-19 but also to help the national government achieve its goal of procuring safe and effective vaccines for all Filipinos.

“We also learned that Taguig has acquired its own cold storage facility, established a ‘point to point’ logistics transport system, and is now preparing four mega quarantine vaccination centers and 40 community centers as the city gears up for the arrival of the Covid-19 vaccines. All of these interventions send a clear message that your city is now ready for the roll-out of our national vaccine program,” he noted.

Meanwhile, Department of the Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Epimaco Densing III said the city’s innovations in responding to the pandemic has already been replicated by other local government units.

“Siya (Mayor Lino Cayetano) po ang may pinakaraming innovative na proposal na ngayon po ay ginagamit ng ating maraming mga mayor hindi lamang dito sa NCR, sina-suggest po namin ito sa ibang mga mayors sa iba’t ibang area ng ating bansa (He has the most number of innovative proposals that are now used by our many mayors not only here in NCR. We also suggested it to other mayors in different areas of our country),” Densing said.

In the same event, Cayetano received the Covid-19 Response Service Award which is a plaque of appreciation presented by the Department of Health (DOH) for his exemplary leadership and exceptional commitment in the implementation of Covid-19 response and ensuring quality health services in the community.

“We are really happy that Taguig can be considered a model city because we strictly enforce rules, listen to experts, and work closely with the national government. We really want to be a model city in terms of cooperation, unity, and execution,” said Cayetano.

The city also prepared mega vaccination centers and more than 40 community vaccination centers in a bid to vaccinate all its citizens for free.

These vaccine centers stationed within Taguig are part of the city’s plan to roll out Covid-19 vaccines as soon as these arrive.

The mega vaccination centers are located in Lakeshore Hall, Center for the Elderly, Vista Mall Parking Building, Taguig City University and Maybank Performing Arts Theater or Mind Museum in BGC, with specific Covid-19 Vaccination Plan — from the storage of vials in ORCA Cold Storage Solutions to its transport to Vaccination Centers, the city assures that every Taguigeño will have access to the vaccine.

Aside from these spacious vaccination centers, Taguig will also be utilizing different private and public schools in the city as community vaccination centers as well as private and public hospitals to provide more venues for Taguigeños to be vaccinated.

The city targets to inoculate 670,000 eligible residents out of its total population of 1,029,017.

The first batch of vaccination will be conducted from February to March 2021, while the second batch will be conducted from April to December 2021. All individuals are required to acquire a Taguig Citizens ID, which will function as a pre-registration before the vaccination.

The city earlier this month committed to allocate PHP1 billion to ensure its 1 million residents are vaccinated for free. (PNA)