Dr. Ed Malagapo, a 75-year-old Filipino senior resident in the UAE shared that he feels more confident to go outside of his home to travel within the UAE nearly three months after getting both doses.
“Wala akong naranasang side effect at ramdam ko na mas ligtas lumabas ngayon with the vaccine. Ang impact sa akin ay 100% confident akong makalabas habang sumusunod pa rin sa mga protocols ng UAE tulad ng social distancing at pagsusuot ng mask,” said Dr. Malagapo.
The Dean of the Philippine Christian University and recipient of 2017 The Filipino Times Rizal Award, always recalls how the UAE gave him the opportunity to get vaccinated in as little as five minutes from the time that he arrived at the COVID-19 vaccination center at the Ghurair area in Dubai.
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“An amazing thing happened. My Ph.D. student, Engr. Vic Abejero told me to dress up and pick me up after 5 minutes. We reached after 5 minutes to the center which was close to our flat. Upon reaching the clinic’s gate, we told the guard about my status as senior citizen. We were told to see the nurse to start the process. It took another 5 minutes to complete the 1st dose,” shared Dr. Malagapo.
He expressed his gratitude to the UAE government for its comprehensive vaccination drive, stating that his experience proves that the UAE leaves no one behind to ensure everyone’s safety against COVID-19.
“Masasabi ko na ang UAE, talagang they really care for all – whether you are an Emirati or not, they really care for you. Bihira lang ito kasi if you are an expat and living in a certain place, bihira yung gobyerno na magbibigay sa iyo ng ganitong klaseng medical attention na libre. I am glad and honored to call the UAE as my second home,” said Dr. Malagapo.
To date, the UAE has provided over 10.2 million vaccines for free to the public, achieving a 103.68 rate of vaccination per 100 people.
In line with this milestone achievement of reaching 10 million doses, The Filipino Times recently launched a campaign for Filipinos in the UAE who have proudly supported the UAE’s National Vaccination Programme with a Facebook Profile sticker campaign titled ‘I’ve been vaccinated, salamat (thanks) UAE!’
The Filipino Times’ latest Facebook profile sticker campaign is meant to show how Filipinos in the UAE have thoroughly and wholeheartedly took part to help the country achieve its aspirations to inoculate its target population before the end of 2021.
