ACT-CIS Representative Jocelyn Tulfo questions the “priority list” that the Department of Health (DOH) will follow once the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) vaccine becomes available in the country.

Despite low vulnerability to the infectious disease, Tulfo believes that the students and teachers can still transmit the COVID-19 to other members of their household.

The “priority list” of the DOH includes the following in order: medical frontliners, indigent senior citizens, remaining senior citizens, remaining indigent population, and uniformed personnel.

“Kung tignan ito mula 1st hangang 5th priority, hindi makikita ang grupo ng mga public school student or kahit ang kanilang mga guro,” she pointed out. “Ito ay aking lubos na kinababahala dahil tila nalimutan ng ating DOH ang dalang peligro ng sitwasyon na ito.”

With this, Tulfo hopes that the DOH expresses more concern to the participants of the distance learning.

“Nais ko sana hingin sa DOH na baguhin at ilagay sa mas mataas na priority ang ating mga studyante. Sa ganitong paraan matutulungan natin protektahan hindi lamang ang mga studyanteng mababakunahan ngunit pati na din ang pamilyang nag-aalaga sa kanila,” she added.

Learners and educators have been having a difficult time adjusting to the new mode of learning, prompting them to call for an academic freeze.

Education Secretary was initially adamant on giving in to this request. However, on Monday, President Rodrigo Duterte and the Cabinet approved the pilot implementation of face-to-face classes in low-risk areas this January.

Photo Credit: Facebook/Jocelyn Tulfo