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Ten cities, several from the Visayas and Mindanao, were added to the government’s list of geographic areas that will be prioritized for the COVID-19 vaccination program, said Malacañang on Thursday, June 24.

These cities, as announced by Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque in a press briefing, are the following:

• Bacolod City
• Iloilo City
• Cagayan de Oro City
• Baguio City
• Zamboanga City
• Dumaguete City
• Tuguegarao City
• General Santos City
• Naga City
• Legazpi City

Roque called them “NCR Plus 10,” in reference to an earlier moniker used by the government, “NCR Plus 8,” which referred to Metro Manila plus Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, Batangas, Pampanga, Metro Cebu, and Metro Davao.

The government’s criteria for identifying the 10 new cities for prioritization were “increasing cases, being highly urbanized, and having a dense environment, and their contribution to regional and national economy,” said Roque.

But he could not specify what percentage of vaccine supplies the cities would be getting. The arrival of more doses to these places is still “subject to more supplies” reaching the country.

Politicians from many of these cities, like Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas and House Deputy Speaker Rufus Rodriguez, earlier called on the Duterte administration to send more vaccines to areas outside Metro Manila experiencing a surge in COVID-19 transmissions.

Rodriguez, who is Cagayan de Oro’s 2nd District representative, even accused vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. and Health Secretary Francisco Duque III of “criminal neglect” over deaths of Mindanaoans due to COVID-19.

President Rodrigo Duterte, in a meeting with Galvez and other pandemic task force officials last Monday, June 21, said the national government should not “dilly-dally” in giving provinces more vaccines once supply allows for it. – Rappler.com