‘The one that's right in front of you'

Perusing the social media posts of the week, I was struck by how so many were decrying the lack of any National Vaccination Plan or recovery plan for the sorry state in which this recent unabated upsurge in COVID-19 cases has left us in.

- PHILIP CU UNJIENG

There were also fearful posts reporting the number of NCR hospitals and medical care centers whose COVID wards were full, and unable to accept any new patients. It got to the point where we were now being invited to all these webinars about caring for your COVID patient at home – a tacit surrender to the fact that our health care system was tottering at the very edge of system overload.

Amidst all this disheartening news, I was happy to read about how LGU’s were up and about, initiating their own localized vaccination programs. Especially pertaining to the NCR, there was an overflow of encouraging reports about these LGU’s. San Juan for example, under Mayor Francis Zamora, began their vaccinations on March 30th. A number of friends I have from Makati, Manila, Parañaque, Pasay City, Taguig, and Quezon City were extolling their respective mayors, and how the LGU’s were doing their best in rolling out the vaccines and following established protocols diligently. Most front-liners had gotten their vaccines, and now the A2 (Seniors), and A3 (those with co-morbidities), were being scheduled.