THE NATIONAL Union of Students of the Philippines decried the use of schools as vaccination centers, saying it reflected the government’s “failed pandemic response.”

The group on Monday slammed the Commission on Higher Education for including facilities of higher education institutions to serve as sites for the Covid19 vaccination program.

“While the establishment of more sites of vaccination may seem like good progress, digging deeper than the surface level reveals that schools having to offer their campuses and facilities for vaccination efforts is a reflection of Duterte’s failed pandemic response coupled with the decades-long neglect towards our healthcare system,” NUSP National President Jandeil Roperos said.

Last week, CHED signed an agreement with the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines on the establishment of vaccination centers in HEIs.

At least 17 colleges and universities nationwide agreed to render their facilities as additional vaccination centers.

Roperos said that the lack of structural investment for Covid19 wards should prompt President Rodrigo Duterte to adopt urgent health-oriented response.

“If there were a medical instead of a militaristic approach to the pandemic, the adjustments by students and educators alike would not have taken place at the gravity it is occurring now,” she said.

She reiterated that CHED and HEIs should prioritize the welfare of the students, especially their safety and well-being.

“Duterte, CHED, and HEIs should be set on thinking about how to fulfill the requisites for the gradual and safe resumption of physical classes. We have yet to see a swift implementation of the vaccination program. Not only should it be prioritized as a response to the pandemic but also as a stepping stone to achieve a better healthcare system. But ultimately, in all this, the students’ welfare should not be compromised,” Roperos added.