Workers in electronics sector can soon ‍get the jab

Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez. (File photo by YANCY LIM / Presidential Photographers Division)

Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez assured electronics exporters that their workforce would finally be able to get COVID-19 vaccines after the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) passed a resolution including in the priority groups for vaccination anyone who has to physically report to work.

During the annual general membership meeting of the Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines, Inc., Lopez said the sector’s workers were already part of the expanded A4 priority group of the government’s inoculation drive. “Let me tell you at the onset that because of the contribution of the sector, together with the other economic sectors, we were able to redefine and expand the A4 in the listing of priorities of vaccination, and all your workers and officers in this sector will now all be part of economic front-liners and be part of A4,” he said. Lopez cited the many contributions of the sector, noting it was now the third largest contributor to the economy in terms of gross value added. In 2020, the share of the electronics sector in the exports basket reached 62 percent or $39.67 billion. Lopez said the sector had, on average, accounted for 54 percent of the country’s total annual exports in the past decade.

“As we expect millions of vaccine doses to arrive this June, vaccination of A4 shall start this coming June. We all want to hasten the vaccine rollout, and increase capacity from the current 231 daily jabs to 500,000 vaccination per day,” he added.

Lopez had also given a similar assurance to workers of the business process outsourcing industry, citing their contribution to the economy as well.

Although the government is now offering the shots to a larger chunk of the workforce, those in the A1 to A3 groups such as health-care workers, seniors and those with comorbidities will still be able to access a “green” or special lane for inoculation, according to Lopez.

“But we can start with A4 so that we will now be able to secure the health and immunity of those economic front-liners who are facing the daily grind going to their workplaces and riding the public transport and facing customers and coworkers in the factories and offices,” he said.

On Thursday, the IATF adopted Resolution No. 117, which, among other provisions, expanded the A4 priority group to include “private sector workers required to be physically present at their designated workplace outside of their residences.”