MANILA Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna is not inclined to waste any of her precious time answering attacks against her specially if they are incredulous, saying she will not give her foes any political or publicity mileage which they obviously seek.
According to Lacuna, she and Mayor Isko Moreno are one in the decision not to allow their rivals to derail all the good work they have been doing so far.
The two top officials of Manila are also focused on vaccinating as many as possible and the continuous improvement of services for COVID-infected individuals in terms of procurement of medicines, new equipment and the establishment of innovative, high-tech facilities.
Moreno had consistently expressed great pride that he has a working partner in the person of Lacuna, whom he described as very hard-working, efficient and dedicated.
Lacuna is not just the vice mayor of Manila. She is also the Presiding Officer of the Manila City Council which is composed of 38 Councilors.
As such, she ensures that all the worthy programs of Manila that requires the City Council’s nod get such approval swiftly. This is a feat, considering that majority of the councilors are men.
Being a doctor, she was also given by Moreno the task of being on top of the city government’s health cluster, wherein she exercises direct supervision over the six city-owned hospitals.
When the pandemic came into the picture, Lacuna was made to head the mass vaccination program, working side by side with the Manila Health Department headed by Dr. Poks Pangan.
Although she could, Lacuna never operated via remote control. She was hands-on all the way.
In fact, since March last year, she had been personally vaccinating senior citizens, bedridden or wheelchair-bound people and those who are physically-challenged.
Since these individuals cannot physically make it to the designated vaccination sites, Lacuna has decided to go to them instead and until now, the ‘home service vaccination’ goes on.
Whenever she is free and has no home vaccination scheduled, Lacuna would drop by in the vaccination hubs — schools, health centers and shopping malls — and give the shots herself. This is why Moreno had given Lacuna the moniker, “Honey Bakuna.”
Lacuna paid the price when she contracted COVID herself. It was not even ordinary COVID. It was Delta that hit her and it carried with it heavy symptoms like body aches and difficulty in breathing, among others.
Now if you think what she went through made Lacuna stop, you are dead wrong. She is now back to vaccinating those who qualify for home service, despite the risks of getting reinfected.
Lacuna, whose father is currently ill too, says that those whom she had been servicing have a special place in her heart and it just gives her a sense of satisfaction to give them the protection that they need.
She is just like Moreno, who pays special attention to senior citizens and the physically-challenged.
Before assigning vaccination hubs, studies are made and meetings are held to ensure that such sites are safe against transmission.
In the case of the ongoing vaccination at the Manila Zoo for senior citizens and minors aged 12 to 17, Lacuna also assures that it is totally safe and that the inoculation site being inside the zoo does not in any way put anyone’s safety at risk.
The feisty vice mayor is thus calling on the public not to give any attention to any ‘Marites’ or ‘mema’ who, she said, contribute nothing to the efforts of both the national and city governments to get as many people vaccinated at the soonest time possible.
Manila, so far, had hit 150 percent in its vaccination program, to include non-residents who have gotten the doses so far.
The local government had also exceeded three million in terms of doses administered, a proof that whenever given a task, Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna makes sure that it gets done, fast and efficiently. So, there!
Jokjok (from Miriam Abasola of Laoag)
Teacher: Juan, magbigay ng pangungusap na may tayutay
Pedro: Sus, kadali ah! Ang Tatay ay nadapa. “Tayo, Tay! Tayo, Tay!”
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