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Mandatory COVID-19 vac opposed
By Nidz Godino
“Do people not want to get vaccinated? As I see it, the low vaccination rate stems from availability of vaccines and the people’s lack of trust in the vaccine brand… government should encourage people to get vaccinated as it is personal decision,” Senators Kiko Pangilinan, Risa Hontiveros, and Senate President Vicente Sotto III disapproved calls for the government to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations in hopes that this would accelerate the country’s vaccination drive.
The Department of The Interior and Local Government (DILG) proposed over the weekend to “disincentivize” beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) who are still not getting their jabs against COVID-19.
Pangilinan said 4Ps should “be implemented without conditions” as recipients need subsidy for their families.
Pangilinan also said government should let barangays handle vaccination program according to their jurisdiction including identifying unvaccinated residents, scheduling vaccination day, and coordinating with respective local government units.
“Recipients should not be deprived of financial assistance…taking away their source of food is not the solution” he added.
Hontiveros agreed, saying this kind of proposal would not help underprivileged. There was no condition in Republic Act 11310 or the “4Ps Law” stating recipients needed to be vaccinated to get benefits.
“Conditions under it are fixed and conditionalities may be suspended because we’re still under state of calamity until September 2022. ..Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and Department of Health (DOH) should work together with parent leaders to continue their efforts to promote health and wellness by encouraging 4Ps to get vaccinated, instead of making it a conditionality,” Hontiveros said in a statement.
Hontiveros believed unvaccinated would find courage to get their COVID jabs.
“At the start, there are only less than 40% of Metro Manila residents who want to get vaccinated…now, over 80% have already been inoculated…as long as there is proper explanation and Filipinos trust those who explain, they will get themselves vaccinated.” she added.
Sotto called on the government to implement proper information program instead of mandating vaccinations, citing the cases of Las Piñas and Quezon City where vaccination drives were succeeding.
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