EDUCATION Secretary Leonor Briones urged teachers and non-teaching personnel to get vaccinated against the coronavirus disease to protect their families, learners, and communities.

“Kami sa Department of Education, we would like to encourage our teachers to be vaccinated because it is not only a matter of protecting your personal rights, but it is also a matter of protecting the lives and health of children and staff who are also entrusted in our care,” Briones said.

She noted that teachers have been given vaccine priority along with other frontliners.

“Ang appeal namin dito, ang aming pino-point out, we will be dealing with the children, we will be protecting the children and perhaps our teachers will consider it as part of the responsibility to protect the lives of those who are entrusted to us,” the DepEd chief said.

She said that teachers and personnel who are either senior citizens, have comorbidities or are medical frontliners can register for vaccination in their respective local government units.

Briones also enjoined all DepEd staff to help educate the public about vaccines and vaccination procedures.

“Teachers must be champions for the vaccine in their respective communities. We are continuously conducting information campaigns as well as surveys to monitor the responses of our teachers to this policy,” she said.