UMAPELA ang isang grupo ng mga retailer sa pamahalaan na isama ang mga retail frontline worker sa mga sektor na prayoridad sa COVID-19 vaccination program.
Sa liham na ipinadala nina Philippine Retailers Association o PRA President Rosemarie Ong at Chairman Paul Santos sa Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, nakiusap ang grupo na i-extend ng IATF ang priority list nito para sa COVID-19 vaccination sa mga retail frontliners kabilang na ang nasa mga public market.
Anila, kabilang ang mga retailers sa mga indibidwal na expose sa virus dahil araw-araw itong nakikipagsalamuha sa publiko.
Saad ng grupo dapat masali ang mga retail frontline workers sa mabakunahan upang mapalakas muli ang consumer confidence at mapatuloy ang kanilang mga operasyon.
“As the association that represents the retail industry, we hope that this request be granted not only to protect retail frontliners, but also to help gain back consumer confidence and further maintain business operations and keep and give more jobs to retail frontliners,” pahayag ni Ong.
Dagdag ng PRA kailangang suportahan ng pamahalaan ang retail industry dahil malaking porsyon sa ekonomiya ng bansa ang nakadepende sa naturang industriya.
Anila, makatutulong ito upang mapagana muli at makarekober ang ekonomiya ng Pilipinas.
Punto rin ng grupo isa sa mga nanatiling apektado ng pandemya ang local retail industry ng bansa.
“As you know, many businesses, especially small and medium enterprises, are now announcing closures and the unemployment rate is increasing,” ayon pa ni Ong.
Una nang inanunsyo ng pamahalaan ngayong buwan ang iba’t ibang sektor na prayoridad sa COVID-19 vaccination program ang mga sumusunod:
A1 – frontline workers in health facilities both national and local, private and public, health professionals and non-professionals like students, nursing aides, janitors and barangay health workers;
A2 – senior citizens aged 60 and above; and a3 or persons with co morbidities not included in the preceding categories;
A4 – uniformed personnel and working in sectors identified by the IATF as essential during the enhanced community quarantine;
a5 – covers indigent population not included in the preceding categories;
B1 – teachers and social workers;
B2 – other government workers;
B3 – other essential workers.
B4 – socio-demographic groups at significantly higher risk other than senior citizens and indigenous people;
B5 – overseas Filipino workers (OFWs);
B6 – remaining work force
Binubuo ang PRA ng mahigit 400 member-companies kabilang na ang retailers, wholesalers, manufacturers, mall at shopping center operators, traders o suppliers, at distributors.
