BPI's vaccination drive: Getting #VacctoNormal

At the Bank of the Philippine Islands, we have always considered our employees as our most valuable asset. Since the start of the pandemic last year, we have implemented measures to keep them safe as they stood by their posts just to provide crucial financial services to our clients.

In support of the government’s National Vaccination and Vaccine Deployment Program, the Ayala Group, which we are a part of, launched the Ayala Vaccine and Immunization Program (AVIP) in collaboration with AC Health last January 21.

The program offers Ayala Group employees, dependents, and partners access to safe, effective, and affordable COVID-19 vaccines with prioritization patterned after the national and global framework. Vaccination costs will be covered by the different Ayala business units for their employees and consultants. Dependents — including spouses, children, parents, siblings, and household helpers — may also avail of the vaccines through the benefit programs of their Ayala family members. Vaccine stock will also be allocated to contractors and vendors deployed in Ayala sites.

With the AVIP at hand, all developments have been cascaded to our employees, utilizing all possible digital channels to reach everyone. We use the bank’s internal e-mail blasts for the more “traditional” boomers, BPI’s Facebook community called #BePartOfIt for announcements, and FB Live sessions to engage the millennials and at least some of the Gen-X. We also use Zoom for the Zoomers who already got used to using video conferencing because of the pandemic.

At this point, getting vaccinated is the most important thing for our employees. We also continue to encourage them to get vaccinated, and to not be afraid so no one gets left behind in creating safe workplaces and homes.

Recently, we launched #VacctoNormal, BPI’s internal vaccination campaign. This campaign calls on all our people in BPI to get vaccinated, where almost 15,000 BPI employees, almost 8,600 dependents, some 400 retirees and directors, and more than 1,500 contractors and vendors are currently registered to get their jabs.

Last June 14, A4 employees living and working in Ayala Group’s four partner LGUs—Makati, Taguig, Parañaque, and Quezon City—started getting their first dose in mega vaccination sites set up in Makati Stock Exchange, BGC Parkade, Ayala Malls Manila Bay, and UP Technohub. Ayala citizens residing outside the four LGUs will get vaccinated starting July under our AVIP in 24 established mega-sites nationwide.

We aim to complete the vaccination of all BPI employees, their dependents, vendors, and contractors by the 4th quarter of 2021.

As World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, “(The pandemic) will not be over anywhere until it's over everywhere."

BPI yearns for this, too. With the vaccination of our employees, we believe we are doing our part in putting an end to this scourge.