Vax to the max

BY JULLIE Y. DAZA

What about us working stiffs in the private sector? Medical and hospital front­liners, men and women in uniform, the poor and the elderly are assured of their vaccines. What about your normal, average, typical em­ployee who does not belong to the civilian bureaucracy or the Armed Forces?

Somebody’s got to stand up for us. Francis Chua, speaking as chairman emeritus of the Philippine Chamber of Com­merce and Industries (PCCI) and chairman of Philippine Silk Road International Corp., asks government, through IATF, to consider allocating doses for employees in the private sector, they who pay VAT, withholding, property, car registration and other taxes (plus SSS, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG contributions, LGU permits and fees).

We’re not asking for char­ity and we’re not consid­ered priority, but between San Miguel Corp. and SM the work force comes to around 650,000, larger than soldiers and teachers combined. We’re not begging for freebies, ei­ther. Tzu Chi Foundation, for which Mr. Chua has been a volunteer these many years, has set aside P1 billion col­lected from international do­nors for the specific purpose of buying COVID vaccines for use in the Philippines. As soon as FDA and IATF give the green light, Tzu Chi will release the money.

In addition, PCCI “will peti­tion IATF to include our sec­tor in the grant of access to vaccines,” said Mr. Chua, for which a meeting with IATF head Carlito Galvez has been scheduled within the week.

Under the umbrella of PCCI, there are 200 member-com­panies, each committed to keep their labor force safe and healthy. One company lists 17,000 workers who will need 34,000 doses. National Grid Corp. wants 7,000, while a company providing Internet services has asked for 10,000. No freebies asked, none ex­pected.

If DoH’s goal is to vaccinate 60 percent of the popula­tion, can the state process 60 million doses in one go plus another 60 million two weeks later?

Worry warts warn against the powerful and the more powerful cornering their share of the earliest batches to arrive. Between you and me, I don’t mind the Presi­dent’s guardians getting the first shots. Seniors are highly vulnerable, such as our Presi­dent, unlike the heads of state of France (43-years-old) and UK (56) who caught the virus despite their youthfulness.