The Office of Senator Cynthia Villar is preparing anew for the massive anti-COVID vaccination of the 3rd batch of around 3,000 Filipino seafarers at The Villar Tent at the Vista Global South in Las Pinas City on the third week of August 2021.
Upon the request of the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), the Villar family has hosted, without cost to the government, the anti-COVID vaccination of 2 previous batches of Pinoy seafarers.
The Villar hosting of seafarers’ vaccination was first held in June 25, with 1,100 getting their jabs, while the second was held on July 28, 29, August 2 and 3. Around 5,000 seafarers were adminsitered the anti-COVID vaccines.
The family-owned Villlar Tent is the only privately-owned facility and vaccination site chosen by MARINA among the three identified vaccination sites for our seafarers.
The two others are the Bureau of Quarantine Central at the Port Area, Manila, and the Office of the Associated Marine’s Officers’ and Seamen’s Union of the Philippines (AMOSUP) in Intramuros, Manila.
Protocols in The Villar Tent are in place to ensure that all areas are disinfected and that people strongly adhere to health and safety protocols like the wearing of face masks and face shields.
Due to the requirement of their overseas employment, only Western vaccines, namely Pfizer, Moderna and Jansen, were administered to seafarers. It is expected that the same set of vaccines will be inoculated to the 3rd batch of seafarers.
The inoculation of the 3rd batch of Filipino seafarers is also in line with the partnership of the Office of the Senator Villar and MARINA for the smooth, safe and swift vaccination rollout to benefit the seafarers.
“The vaccination of our Pinoy seafarers will allow them to go back to their ship safely to resume work in order to earn a living, as well as to give them the necessary protection against the Covid-19 and its many variant, including the most infectious and highly transmissible Delta,” said Villar.
MARINA Administrator, Vice Admiral Robert Empredad, communicated that they expect around 15,000 doses will be rolled out for the 3rd batch of seafarers in the National Capital Region. Out of this, he said around 5,000 to 6,0000 will be administered at the the Villar Tent.
Empredad further said that he is expecting 80,000 more vaccines, which will be distributed to the other regions in the country for the inoculation of the seafarers. He said this was the allocation so far promised to him by IATF Sec. Carlito Galvez.
Through collaboration efforts with the senator and her daughter, Las Pinas Rep. Camille Villar, Empredad emphasized they were a step closer towards ensuring the safety and health of our modern-day heroes as well as their families and co-workers.
For her part, the senator said she was happy for the continuing inoculation of Filipino seafarers who help keep the country’s economy afloat amid the pandemic.
She said the marine sector had been adversely hit by the pandemic due to shut down operations of ship companies as the COVID-19 virus battered the global economy.
But with the vaccination, the senator said they could be “on board” anew and get pay to provide for their families and help in the country spur its recovery from an economic slump.
