May 12, 2021 – With the country receiving more supplies of COVID-19 vaccine, Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones has encouraged teachers and non-teaching personnel of the Department of Education to get immunized to protect their families, learners, and communities.

“Kami sa Department of Education, we would like to encourage our teachers to be vaccinated because it is not only a matter of protecting your personal rights, but it is also a matter of protecting the lives and health of children and staff who are also entrusted in our care,” Secretary Briones said during her virtual regional visit at the EduAKSYON: Aksyon at Solusyon para sa Edukasyon Region XI Presser.

“The teachers have been upgraded in the ranking along with other frontliners who directly deal with the public. Ang appeal namin dito, ang aming pino-point out, we will be dealing with the children, we will be protecting the children and perhaps our teacher will consider it as part of the responsibility to protect the lives of those who are entrusted to us,” Sec. Briones added.

Briones pushed for the inclusion of education frontliners in the A4 priority list of the National Deployment and Vaccination Plan for COVID-19 (NDVP), which was recently approved by the IATF.

The education chief also reiterated that teachers and personnel who fall under higher priority categories, including those who are medical frontliners (A1), senior citizens (A2), and with comorbidities (A3), can already register for vaccination in their respective local government units.

In addition, Briones also enjoined all DepEd staff to assist in educating the public about vaccines and vaccination procedures.

“Teachers must be champions for the vaccine in their respective communities. We are continuously conducting information campaigns as well as surveys to monitor the responses of our teachers to this policy,” she said.

To spread awareness and information on the importance of getting the COVID-19 vaccine and other mitigation efforts, DepEd launches the Vacc2School: Ligtas na Bakuna Para sa Balik-Eskwela for teaching and non-teaching personnel.

The Department also eyes to conduct town hall meetings to address stakeholders’ concerns and planning workshops for championing vaccination advocacies.