President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Monday appealed to the public to participate in the government’s COVID-19 booster rollout to avoid future lockdowns and help the country’s economic recovery.

In his visit to Pasig City for the PinasLakas Booster Vaccination campaign, Marcos encouraged Filipinos to get the jabs and see to it that the booster rollout is properly implemented.

“Kaya’t kailangan magpabakuna tayo nang mabuti dahil siguro naman nabalitaan na ninyo maraming mga variant eh ‘yung bakuna kung minsan kailangan isa pa para talagang tiyak tayo na hindi na tayo aabutan nung kahit na ano pang variant,” Marcos said.

“Kaya’t kayo na nandito na na magpapa-booster na ay hikayatin ninyo ‘yung mga kasamahan ninyo, ‘yung pamilya ninyo lahat, sabihin ninyo lahat na magpa-booster na para hindi niyo na kailangan alalahanin itong COVID na ito para masasabi natin dito sa Pilipinas ay tapos na,” he added.

The President appealed to the public to have their COVID-19 boosters and not wait for cases to increase further.

Once the majority of the population is fully immunized, the coronavirus could be controlled, and there is no need for the government to implement lockdowns, he said.

Health officials see the PinasLakas Booster Vaccination campaign as a way to boost jobs and tourism and allow school opening this August.

The ambitious campaign aims to widen inoculation, especially by providing boosters to senior citizens and other vulnerable groups while at the same time giving shots to children.

Joining the President were Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo, Department of Health Officer-In-Charge Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto, and Pasig City Vice Mayor Robert “Dodot” Jaworski Jr. | PND