Ryan Agoncillo (left) and Judy Ann Santos
After some “false starts,” we finally got our first shot of COVID-19 vaccine last Monday at the vaccination program for movie industry workers organized by the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) and the Movie Workers Welfare Foundation (Mowelfund).
It’s an endeavor that brings a measure of hope and inspiration to the beleaguered entertainment sector—a light at the end of the tunnel that could eventually bring a semblance of normalcy to the industry.
More than 1,000 vaccinated
According to MMFF spokesperson Noel Ferrer, who invited Inquirer Entertainment to the event, more than a thousand industry workers have so far been vaccinated since the drive was launched last June 11—and a lot more are queuing up to get theirs as we speak.
“We shall continue to do this as long as we have enough vaccine supply to help our industry and stakeholders in getting back to full creative operations again,” Noel said.
For celebrity couple Ryan Agoncillo and Judy Ann Santos, who were among the early birds at the MMDA Auditorium last Monday, getting their first shot was a “big deal” for their family.
“When we heard news of the vaccines trickling in, we wanted to do it properly,” Ryan told us just before he was called in for his turn. “We were only too happy to get in line, because we didn’t want to jump any lines. We waited patiently because we understand there are more than 100 million of us Filipinos—at ayaw naming makagulo. So, when we were presented different options to register for vaccination, we did.
“More than anything, this brings peace of mind. Akala namin, there’d be resistance when we helped register the people who work for us, but we were wrong—they were only too happy to line up to get vaccinated, as well.
“I understand na may mga takot magpabakuna, but this is the responsible thing to do. We can’t keep fighting this battle scared!”
Thrilled
For her part, while the prospect of getting injected is giving Juday butterflies, she said she’s also thrilled to get some protection from the highly infectious virus.
“Ay naku, I didn’t expect to get nervous,” said the actress, laughing. “But we have to be responsible—as citizens of our country and as parents to our kids. Kasi kung may vaccines na at nagka-COVID ka bigla dahil wala kang ginawa, you’re not doing your share to help fight this heath crisis.
“This will also allow us to go back to our normal lives. Let’s do this for the people we love. Mahirap magsisi sa bandang huli.” INQ