Subic firm donates vaccine fridge to SBMA

A business locator in this free port has donated a biomedical refrigerator to the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) in support of the agency’s vaccination program for workers, residents and other stakeholders here.

SBMA Chairman Wilma T. Eisma said the donation from TeleEmpire Inc. will strengthen the capacity of the SBMA to pursue its vaccine rollout in partnership with the Department of Health (DOH) and private groups.

“It’s a bio-ref, capable of temperatures from 2 to 8 degrees Centigrade, and it’s good for Sinovac, Astra Zeneca or Janssen vaccines,” Eisma explained. “This will be a big help in our vaccine program and will complement the transport boxes and vaccine carriers we recently received from the DOH.”

Eisma said the biomedical refrigerator can store up to 20,000 vaccine vials. "Additional storage means better supply management of our vaccine allocations," she added.

The donation was turned over by TeleEmpire president and CEO Johannes Lin to SBMA Public Health and Safety Department (PHSD) manager Dr. Solomon Jacalne.

Jacalne said the vaccine refrigerator will allow the SBMA health unit to store vaccines in its own facility rather than getting vaccine supplies from the DOH regional office or from the health office in Olongapo City.

"This donation from TeleEmpire makes it possible for us to get more vaccine allotment from the government," Jacalne pointed out. “It can also be used to store vaccines for flu and other medical preparations.”

TeleEmpire Inc. handed out its donation as a gesture of gratitude for the vaccination of its employees on August 11. The rollout was made possible with the assistance of the SBMA and DOH and benefited the firm’s 280 employees.

TeleEmpire provides facility management services and business process outsourcing services to Philippine overseas gaming operators located out of the Freeport.

Eisma also expressed her gratitude to the company for its support, pointing out that if both the private and public sectors worked together, herd immunity could be attained faster in the Subic Bay community.

She said the Subic agency is reaching out to all possible sources of vaccine to ensure that the Subic Bay workforce will all be immunized and protected against the Covid-19 virus. (MPD-SBMA)

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Second group of A4 workers get jabbed in Subic Freeport

Another Covid-19 vaccination program for workers was carried out here on Wednesday (Aug. 11), exactly two weeks after the launching of the government’s vaccination drive for frontline personnel in essential sectors or the A4 priority group in this Freeport. 

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the second privately-initiated workers’ vaccination program opened at the TeleEmpire Inc. office here to benefit the firm’s 280 employees.

The project was held in partnership with the Department of Health (DOH), which assisted in vaccne access, as well as in the Resbakuna center accreditation.

“I hope more companies in Subic would follow suit to have their employees vaccinated, so that we all can have peace of mind while going about our own businesses,” said Eisma, who continues to drumbeat the importance of having workers inoculated against the Covid-19 virus.

“Again, I urge Freeport workers to register for any vaccination program offered by their employers, or by their respective local government unit. It doesn’t really matter what brand of vaccine is available; what’s important is getting the dose that would keep you safe from the virus,” she added.

Eisma and Secretary Vince Dizon of the National Action Plan Against COVID-19, Health Undersecretary Roger Tong-an, and Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque launched the government’s vaccination drive for economic frontliners at the Nidec Subic Philippines Corp. here on July 27.

SBMA Deputy Administrator for Health and Safety Ronnie Yambao the vaccine rollout at TeleEmpire was administered by medical staff from the privately-owned ZMMG Coop Women’s and Children Hospital in Olongapo City, using Sinovac vaccine.

Charry Navarro, administrative officer of TeleEmpire, said the one-day vaccination schedule would provide the first dose of the vaccine to all the firm’s 280 workers.

Meanwhile, TeleEmpire president and CEO Johannes Lin lauded the SBMA for its efforts in enforcing health protocols in the Subic Bay Freeport and helping locators get vaccine allocations.

Lin also thanked the firm’s Filipino employees for their concern to fellow workers and for showing discipline during the pandemic.

“Everybody wants to be comfortable while working inside the office, that is why everybody is doing their share to keep themselves healthy and Covid-free,” he added.

Lin also said that TeleEmpire had prohibited employees from going around the Freeport, even in the malls, and had set up recreational facilities and a mini-store in the TeleEmpire complex to encourage workers to stay in their quarters when not in duty.

The firm provides facility management services and business process outsourcing services to Philippine overseas gaming operators located out of the Freeport.

Lin said the firm had planned to initiate vaccination of workers as early as April this year, but most of the employees worried about the effect of the vaccines after reading negative reactions from the social media.

“Proper information from medical experts and distributing reading materials about the Covid-19 vaccines convinced our workers to get vaccinated,” Lin happily said. (MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA chief urges Subic stakeholders to get vaccinated

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma called on residents and workers in the Subic Bay Freeport to register for Covid-19 vaccination and take advantage of the free vaccines being rolled out by the government. 

Eisma made the appeal on Wednesday as the SBMA and the Department of Health (DOH) began administering the second dose of Covid-19 vaccines to Subic Bay residents and SBMA employees in the A1 to A3 priority groups and after launching the vaccine program for economic frontliners in the A4 group last Tuesday.

“This is very important in order for the Subic Bay Freeport businesses to pick up and reopen new opportunities,” Eisma said.

“Because the workers and resident-investors are the backbone of the local economy, we urge them to keep safe so that they may continue to be healthy and productive. And the best way to keep safe in this pandemic is to get vaccinated,” she added.

Eisma said the DOH-SBMA vaccination program is moving at an even faster rate with more vaccines being allocated by the government to the Subic Bay Freeport.

Last Tuesday, a total of 300 doses of Sinovac vaccine arrived as initial doses for the A4 group following the ceremonial A4 vaccination held at Nidec Subic Philippines Corp. office.

Eisma said she has also received a commitment from the national government for the weekly release of vaccines for workers in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone to boost the A4 vaccination program.

She said the A4 vaccination program is expected to snowball among business locators here and will help bring about Subic’s economic revival.

On Wednesday, hundreds of recipients, including senior citizens, queued at the Harbor Point Ayala Mall here for the scheduled second dose of Astra Zeneca vaccine administered by SBMA health workers from 10 a.m. to 12 noon under the DOH-SBMA program.

SBMA Deputy Administrator for Health and Safety Ronnie Yambao said the DOH has allotted 240 doses for Wednesday’s rollout, and gave 180 doses of the Janssen one-dose vaccine for the July 27 rollout at the Harbor Point here.

Yambao said the SBMA’s Public Health and Safety Department had so far recorded a total of 2,068 recipients of Covid-19 vaccine in Subic, of whom 1,105 are SBMA employees.

“With the continuous deployment of vaccines by DOH, we would achieve the level of population protection, hopefully, within the third quarter of the year,” he added.

In last Wednesday’s rollout, Customs District Collector for Subic Marites Martin lauded the SBMA for its Covid-19 vaccination program, and thanked the Subic agency for accommodating Customs personnel in the rollout. “You are helping many of our residents in the Freeport,” she said.

Martin, who resides in the Subic Freeport, also received her second dose of Astra Zeneca vaccine that day. (MPD-SBMA)

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Subic kicks off vaccination of economic frontliners

The vaccination drive for economic frontliners in the country began in this Freeport on Tuesday with five workers at Nidec Subic Philippines Corp. getting their first shot of Covid-19 vaccine in a ceremonial launch.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Wilma T. Eisma said the vaccination program is expected to snowball among the registered business locators here and help bring about Subic’s economic revival. 

“This undertaking is very important because the workers are the backbone of the economy and it is important that we maintain their well-being and safety at all times,” she also said.

The ceremonial vaccination was organized by the SBMA, the Department of Health (DOH), the National Task Force Against Covid-19 (NTF), and the Interagency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).

Secretary Vince Dizon, who is deputy chief implementer of the National Action Plan Against COVID-19, witnessed the ceremony along with Eisma, DOH Undersecretary Roger Tong-an, Zambales Vice Governor Jay Khonghun, and Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, who also conducted a press briefing later at the vaccination site.

Among the first to be vaccinated were Nidec President Kiyoshi Sato, the firm’s general manager Marissa Tamayo, and Carol Adamos, Dexter Saludez, and Ruel Fernandez, all workers at the manufacturing company.

Sato said the Nidec employees were honored to be chosen for the launch of the A4 mass vaccination in the Philippines. “Due to the support that we received from SBMA Chairman Eisma, the DOH team and the Philippine government, we are able to provide the vaccine to you all today, free of charge,” Sato also told Nidec workers.

Sato said the company has been operating in the Subic Freeport since 1998 as a factory for hard-disc drive motors, and has invested $100 million to produce gearboxes mainly for robotics and other automation-related industries.

“Nidec Subic currently has 458 workers and plans to increase to 800 employees by this year. We plan to continue to grow this company and continue to value the health and well-being of all our employees,” Sato added.

A total of 300 doses of Sinovac vaccine arrived here on Tuesday for the initial inoculation drive for economic frontliners. Eisma said Nidec workers will receive the rest of the doses in the next two days.

She added that she has also received a commitment from the national government for the weekly release of vaccines for workers in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone to boost the A4 vaccination program.

“From the men and women of the Subic Bay Freeport, we thank you for the A4 vaccination program that is supported by President Duterte,” Eisma told Secretary Roque during the ceremony. “We are happy that our economic frontliners may do their work without fear of getting serious effects of Covid-19,” she added.

With the commitment for additional vaccines, Eisma on Tuesday urged Freeport workers to register for the vaccination program. She added that while the vaccine is subject to availability and approval by the DOH, the SBMA will coordinate the registry of workers qualified under the A4 priority group.

As of now, the SBMA and the DOH are continuing with the vaccination of Subic stakeholders in the A1 to A3 priority groups, she added. (MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA health frontliners get vaccinated vs Covid-19

A total of 78 personnel from the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority’s Public Health and Safety Group (SBMA-PHSG) got inoculated with Covid-19 vaccine on Thursday, March 25.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the mass vaccination was made possible through the assistance of the Department of Health (DOH) and the Olongapo City Health Office.

SBMA doctors, nurses, medical technicians and other frontline health workers were on the DOH’s priority list for vaccination as they are exposed to Covid-19 risks because of their job, Eisma said.

“This wouldn’t have been possible without the DOH placing our frontliners on the priority list and we thank Health Secretary Duque and Region 3-DOH Dir. Cesar Casion for that. We also thank Mayor Rolen Paulino Jr. as it is the Olongapo City Health Office that administered the shots,” Eisma added.

She added that Paulino had also offered to include Freeport residents in the city’s vaccination program, as the Subic Bay Freeport is not under any local government unit.

“I am so happy that we are taking a whole community approach to the Covid-19 problem and I’m certain that when neighbors band together, they can do things better and faster,” the SBMA chief also said.

Meanwhile, Eisma said that the SBMA is preparing for a mass vaccination program for stakeholders in the Subic Bay Freeport in partnership with the DOH, the Subic Bay Freeport Chamber of Commerce (SBFCC), and the SBMA Employees Welfare Multi-Purpose Cooperative (SBMA-EWMPC).

“We’re covering all possible access points to get hold of vaccines for workers and business locators, as well as residents in the Freeport and SBMA employees and their families,” Eisma revealed.

“We are in touch with the Philippine Red Cross to help us procure vaccines, and we’re also eyeing this tie-up between the SBFCC and a pharmaceutical outfit to help us realize a mass vaccination program here in Subic,” she added.

In her recent State of the Freeport Address (SOFA), Eisma underscored the agency’s fight against Covid-19 as an important factor in the continuing economic growth in Subic, pointing out that “proactive measures to fight Covid-19 gave us the resilience to be able to bounce back” after the economic slowdown.

The mass vaccination program, she said, is a crucial component of the SBMA’s anti-Covid battle along with mass testing and strict implementation of health protocols.

Subic business locators, meanwhile, have given the SBMA excellent scores for its handling of the Covid-19 pandemic since March last year, citing the agency’s strict implementation of safety protocols that allowed businesses to continue operation amid the health crisis. (MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA frontline health workers receive their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine on Thursday in Olongapo City

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Subic Freeport ready for Covid-19 vaccine rollout

Health facilities and personnel in the Subic Bay Freeport are now ready for the eventual release and distribution here of Covid-19 vaccines under the much-awaited mass vaccination program of the government.

This was the assurance given by Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma to Department of Health (DOH) officials who observed the simulation of Covid-19 vaccine administration in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone last Thursday, Feb. 18.

Eisma said that ever since the outbreak of the pandemic last year, the SBMA has prepared for any eventuality and has initiated various health measures to fight Covid-19.

“We don’t want to get caught empty-handed,” Eisma stressed. “With the anticipated arrival of Covid-19 vaccines, the medical team of the SBMA is all prepped up and ready for the vaccination program. We shall be prepared when it happens,” Eisma said.

The SBMA chief said the agency is closely coordinating with the DOH for the procurement of Covid-19 vaccines and their immediate deployment for the Freeport community.

“But since the SBMA is not a local government unit (LGU), we are looking at various ways to gain access to vaccines, including a partnership with the Philippine Red Cross, or even private companies,” Eisma said.

She added that the agency would be prioritizing frontline health workers for the vaccination, along with senior citizens, indigent population, and law enforcement/uniformed personnel.

Should the vaccines finally arrive, Eisma said the SBMA could field a vaccination team that would consist of five doctors, 20 nurses, and two medical technologists.

The Philippine government, through a coordinated network of stakeholders recently conducted a full-scale simulation exercise of vaccine deployment to showcase the country’s readiness for the mass vaccination program. The simulation provided a view on what is expected to happen once the vaccines arrive in the country.

Dr. Jessie Fantone, DOH provincial director for Zambales who was here to review the Subic simulation, commended the SBMA for adhering to the DOH strategy in the fight against Covid-19, which is Prevent, Detect, Isolate, Treat, and Reintegrate (PDITR).

The SBMA Public Health and Safety Department (PHSD) demonstrated to the five steps in the administration of the vaccine. These are registration; pre-vaccination counselling and final consent; screening; vaccination; and post-vaccination monitoring, surveillance, and recording.

Chairman Eisma also pointed out that the SBMA has been at the forefront in the battle against Covid-19 since Covid-19 broke out in early 2020. Aside from its medical team, the Subic agency has established Covid-19 isolation and monitoring facilities and partnered with the Philippine Red Cross in putting up a swabbing center and specimen collection facility.

As of now, only one Covid-19 case remains active in the Subic Bay Freeport—that of a transient worker who tested positive last Feb. 10. Eisma said the last reported case among residents of Subic Freeport was in Dec. 24 while that among SBMA employees was in Feb. 5. (MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:

[1] Dr. Arlene Cesa of the SBMA Health and Safety Department gives a briefing on the Covid-19 vaccination program during the mass vaccination simulation at the Subic Bay Freeport on Feb. 18. In the audience are SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma, DOH-Zambales Provincial Director Jessie Fantone, SBMA Deputy Administrator for Health and Safety Ronnie Yambao, and Subic Freeport health frontline workers.

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