In honor of Labor Day, 5,000 workers earning minimum wage and overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) will be administered COVID-19 vaccines, Malacañang announced on Tuesday, April 27.

The vaccinations will take place on May 1 during a “symbolic inoculation ceremony,” said Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque.

The move was recommended by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). The workers to be chosen to receive the very limited shots must fall under the government’s A4 priority list, which is composed of economic frontliners.

It includes transport workers, market vendors, food delivery service workers, security guards, media, priests, imams, and more.

The DOLE is tasked with creating the list of 5,000 vaccine recipients.

“The DOLE has been directed to create a master list to ensure the equitable representation of the labor sector during the said ceremony,” said Roque.

Congress staff now part of A4

The pandemic task force added staff of the Senate and House of Representatives into the A4 grouping.

Roque said this was done “in recognition of their critical and indispensable role in our fight against the coronavirus pandemic.”

Senate President Vicente Sotto III had earlier told Rappler they were planning to purchase doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine and the Sinovac vaccine for Senate staff.

The Senate Medical and Dental bureau are now asking employees not belonging to the A2 and A3 categories (senior citizens and persons with comorbidities) to state their vaccine preference. – With a report from Mara Cepeda/Rappler.com