PCOO eyes to attain population protection this year; 85% of employees now fully vaccinated vs COVID-19
MANILA – The Presidential Communications Operations Office is looking at achieving population protection by year-end, after marking a major breakthrough with the vaccination of 85% of total PCOO personnel and its attached agencies nationwide.
In June 2021, the PCOO management started the vaccination drive of the general population of the agency together with their dependents with the valuable assistance of the National Vaccine Operations Center and the local government units of the City of Manila and Quezon City, and as well as local government units for the regional offices of PCOO units and agencies nationwide.
“This is to ensure the unhampered delivery of information, communications, and government services to the Filipino public,” Sec. Andanar added. He also thanked PCOO Legal Affairs ASec. Omar Romero, PCOO Group vaccination coordinator, Admin, and Finance USec. Kris Ablan and the heads of the PCOO attached agencies for making the PCOO Group’s vaccination drive possible and successful.
According to Asec. Romero, “around 3,364 agency personnel and its attached agencies nationwide have been fully vaccinated as of September 27, 2021.”
The figure translates to 84.93% of its 3,961 total workforces. Data showed that there are still 343 personnel that have yet to receive their second dose, while 69 persons voluntarily opted not to be inoculated.
ASec. Romero emphasized that the vaccination is “to ensure the safety and health of all PCOO employees pursuant to the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Standards for the Public Sector per Joint Memorandum Circular No. 1, s. 2020 issued by the Civil Service Commission on March 4, 2020.”
High Vaccination Rate
In PCOO proper, 433 employees (93.12%) are now fully vaccinated while 15 personnel are waiting to resume the inoculation this coming month.
Meanwhile, the Bureau of Communications Services is the first PCOO unit to reach population protection this quarter as all of its 119 personnel are now fully vaccinated against the virus.
The Presidential Broadcast Staff - Radio Television MalacaΓ±ang surpassed a high vaccination rate of 98.08% (154 out of 156 personnel). The remaining two are now waiting to receive their second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Central offices of the two government media corporations, People’s Television Network, Inc. and Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation, also recorded above the 90-percent mark of their fully vaccinated personnel, reaching 92.13% and 94.81%, respectively.
Other PCOO attached agencies like the Philippine Information Agency, News and Information Bureau, APO Production Unit, Inc., and the National Printing Office also recorded a high vaccination rate of 88% to 90%.
Aside from PCOO personnel and dependents, some members of the MalacaΓ±ang Press Corps were included in the vaccination drive.
“We have also included in our vaccination campaign the journalists and news and media professionals in the MalacaΓ±ang Press Corps,” Andanar said.
“This drive to inoculate and vaccinate our government personnel, their families, and the members of the MPC is part of our whole-of-nation approach in the Duterte administration, knowing how important it is for COVID-19 vaccines to be made accessible for us to succeed in our road to recovery as one nation and to contribute to the global effort in fighting the pandemic,” the PCOO chief emphasized.
