The Department of Health (DOH) has launched “Bakunado Panalo,” a text messaging-based raffle open to Filipinos vaccinated against COVID-19.
The raffle, sponsored by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) in collaboration with the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF), aims to incentivize vaccination against COVID-19 to increase vaccine willingness and thank Filipinos for choosing to join the fight against the coronavirus, the DOH said in a statement.
The raffle is powered by Zed and major telecom companies, will run from October to December this year, and will give out a total of P3 million in cash prizes.
As countries all over the world continue to ramp up their COVID-19 vaccination campaigns, the Philippines is not left behind, the Health Department added.
However, lawmakers such as Albay Rep. Joey Salceda have said a vaccination incentive, such as an inoculation allowance, and better registration procedures might be better than a raffle to encourage more Filipinos to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
“The problem is not the lack of some probability of winning a big prize. The problem is for many… they have to skip a workday just to get jabbed. For the average wage worker, that will cost them the day’s pay,” Salceda said over the weekend.
He already proposed “that we give a day’s worth of minimum wage as a vaccine incentive. There are places where that’s being done already, like Davao City. The point is you compensate for the trouble. Even with a raffle, for many working-class Filipinos, foregoing a day’s wages is too much.”
As of October 4, the Philippines has fully vaccinated over 21.8 million Filipinos with a total of 46.3 million doses administered.
As more Filipinos are vaccinated, ensuring that vaccine willingness continues to rise is critical in boosting coverage and protecting more Filipinos, the DOH said.
More raffle entries are given to fully vaccinated individuals, and senior citizens receive double the entries. This is to ensure that people return for their second dose and that the most vulnerable sector — the senior citizens — are vaccinated and protected, the department added.
“Every Filipino vaccinated is another Filipino protected. Through this raffle, we celebrate the contribution that each Filipino makes in choosing to get vaccinated and playing their part to end this pandemic,” said Health Secretary Francisco Duque III.
“PDRF supports the government’s plan to fully vaccinate 80 percent of our people, including children from ages 12-17, to build population protection for the country. Mass vaccination, together with minimum health safety standards, is the best way to manage this pandemic and prevent deaths. It will also help us re-open the economy and enable people to rebuild their lives,” added PDRF Chief Resilience Officer Guillermo Luz.