President Rodrigo Duterte led the formal opening of the national vaccination days in Antipolo City on Monday.

In his speech during the event, Duterte said the "Bayanihan Bakunahan'' which runs until December 1, aims to vaccinate around nine million individuals in 8,000 sites across 16 regions nationwide.

"This is our single biggest push to fast-track vaccination and reach our target of 70 percent population protection nationwide. By the end of 2021, we expect to fully vaccinate a total of 54 million Filipinos; we also aim to inoculate 80 percent of the population of minors aged 12 to 17 years; and complete the booster shots for those belonging to A1, A2, and A3 sectors," he said.

"This multi-sectoral event is a resounding expression of our bayanihan spirit, which coincides with the nation’s observance of Bonifacio Day on November 30. Indeed, the heroic example of Gat Andres Bonifacio’s courage resonates in each of us as we work together to fast-track and intensify our efforts to overcome this pandemic," he added.

During the event, Duterte commended "the Department of Health, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, and the National Task Force Against COVID-19 for the successful vaccination campaign and collaboration with private sectors to sufficiently supply the country with much needed vaccine doses and distribute these vaccines all over the country."

"I call on every Filipino for your continued cooperation in fighting against COVID-19 by getting vaccinated and continuing to follow our minimum public health standards," he said.

"It is very important for us to take a whole-of-nation approach to win against the coronavirus that has sorely plagued our country for almost two years. With God’s abiding grace and with our genuine malasakit for our fellow Filipinos, we will overcome this pandemic and come out stronger and better as a nation," he added.

In a television interview on Monday morning, NTF COVID-19 Chief implementer and vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said the national vaccination is going smoothly.

"So far it's going smoothly. Hopefully we will be able to get numbers, we are very confident that we can achieve the three million a day target. Hopefully the numbers will accelerate and later we will be able to reach our target," he said. Robina Asido/DMS