Business sector, LGU partner in vaccination drive

By Jason B. Neola

NAGA CITY --- A majority number of mall owners and supervisors of Business Process Outsourcing firms in the city have closed ranks with the city government here in the conduct of the planned mass immunization that will start to reel off by 3rd or 4th quarter of 2021.

The manifestation of support from the business sector was discussed in a meeting with Mayor Nelson Legacion last Monday, Jan. 18, specifically the plan by big establishment owners to purchase their own AstraZeneca vaccines that will be used for the immunization of their employees.

In an interview, Mayor Nelson Legacion said that he raised in the meeting his proposition to the businessmen to consider in the purchase of their own vaccines their employees’ household members as beneficiaries also.

Earlier, a BPO firm has signified with the mayor its intention to purchase 4,000 doses of the vaccine intended for the vaccination of its 2,000 employees. The company openly told the mayor to include them in the city government’s firm order.

Initially, the LGU has ordered 180 thousand doses of AstraZeneca vaccines for the first 90,000 Nagueños.

The meeting was participated in by the officers of Metro Naga Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Metro Naga Water District, and representatives of those in BPO and retail industries.

As of press time yesterday, the city mayor has been preparing for a zoom meeting with a British government official who manifested his willingness to extend assistance to the LGU in its plan to procure vaccines.