MANILA — Business process outsourcing (BPO) firms in the Philippines have secured some 1 million COVID-19 vaccine shots, an industry leader said on Wednesday.

The BPO industry entered into tripartite agreements with advocacy group Go Negosyo and other partners to procure COVID-19 shots, said Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines president Rey Untal.

"Mahigit pong 1 milyong doses ang aming na-procure," he said in a televised public briefing.

(We have procured more than 1 million doses.)

He said the jabs, which are expected to arrive in the third and fourth quarters, include those from US-based Moderna and Britain's AstraZeneca.

BPO workers belong to "A4", the fourth priority group that is expected to start receiving COVID-19 vaccines in June.

• Local governments to decide which A4 workers will get COVID-19 vaccines first— DOH
• A4, indigent population vaccination initially limited to Metro Manila, 8 other areas: DOH

"Later on po ‘pag dumating iyong mga vaccine natin na atin pong binili, puwede po natin siyang gamitin sa mga dependents or even as a booster shot later on or even donate po back to the government," Untal said.

(Later on, when the vaccines that we bought arrive, it can be used for dependents, or as booster shots, or even donated back to the government.)

• Quezon City gov't, BPO groups sign deal to 'expedite' inoculation of 67K employees

Classified by the government as "essential", the BPO industry continued operations even during COVID-19 lockdowns, with about 70 percent of employees under a work-from-home set-up, said Untal.

The industry grew in terms of in direct employment by 1.8 percent to 1.32 million workers, he said.

• BPOs seen hiring up to 100,000 this year; work-from-home also here to stay

Video courtesy of PTV