Incentives pushed for fully vaxxed

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The Emergency Operations Center-Task Force (EOC-TF) is encouraging hotels, restaurants, and other business establishments in Bacolod City to offer incentives, such as discounts and freebies, to fully vaccinated customers to encourage more people to get inoculated.

The task force also urged businesses to convince their personnel to get vaccinated, since the city is giving “vaccination seals” once their workforce is 100 percent fully vaccinated.

During the Oct. 15 virtual meeting, the Emergency Operations Center-Task Force encouraged hotels, restaurants, and other business establishments in Bacolod City to offer incentives such as discounts and freebies to fully vaccinated customers.

This will make clients feel safe when they dine in at restaurants, or stay in hotels, knowing that all the staff members, who assist them are fully vaccinated, the EOC-TF said.

These concerns were among the topics discussed during the virtual meeting of the EOC-TF, chaired by Mayor Evelio Leonardia, and the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF), chaired by Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, with members and officers of the Hotels and Restaurants Association of Negros Occidental (HRANO) Oct. 15.

About 80 HRANO member-establishments were represented during the meeting.

“Hotels and restaurants are places where there is a high degree of interaction among guests and workers. This requires attention to compliance with health and safety protocols, for the public to regain confidence in visiting and patronizing these establishments,” EOC-TF executive director Em Ang said in a press release from the city Oct. 17.

It was learned that some businesses are already giving out incentives to customers, who are fully vaccinated.

Familiaran said giving incentives to patrons is only voluntary, but encouraged.

HRANO president Roberto Magalona of Cafe Bob’s said that member-establishments are all in a similar situation, adding that some of their personnel want to get the jabs while others were reluctant.

“We can devise a strategy to slowly convince them,” Magalona said.

Leonardia said vaccination is “our way out” of the pandemic.

“We vaccinated a lot of people but it is hard to convince others. Let’s try to do something about it. In Bacolod, fighting COVID is everybody’s business. You are influential to your employees so we are appealing to you to encourage them to get vaccinated,” the mayor said.

EOC deputy for medical, Dr. Chris Sorongon, also reminded HRANO members to be consistent in using the BaCTrac system and in observing the health protocols. The virtual meeting was also attended by Councilor Cindy Rojas – chair of the Action Team on Non-OFW Returning Residents, OIC-City Health Officer Dr. Edwin Miraflor Jr., OIC-City Tourism Officer Sandra Ruth Sycip, Permits and Licensing Office head Stela Rose Rayos, EOC deputy for medical Dr. Anna Maria Laarni Pornan, who is also the head of the DRRMO, and LEIPO-designate Jonah Javier. | NND

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