THE Davao City Government has given all of its employees until November 30, 2021 to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19.
The City Government issued Executive Order No. 45 on Thursday, September 16, mandating the vaccination of all city government employees, including plantilla, job order, contract of service and volunteers for Covid-19.
The EO, signed by Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, states that all employees must be fully vaccinated.
"Department Heads and Chiefs-of-Offices, through their respective Administrative Officers, shall ensure that all personnel assigned in their offices are fully vaccinated on or before November 30, 2021," it said.
The EO states it will be the responsibility of the Human Resource Management Office (HRMO) to ensure and coordinate with the Davao City Covid-19 Task Force Vaccination Cluster in organizing and scheduling the vaccination of all city government personnel.
Administrative Officers of various city government offices are required to submit to the Personnel Benefits and Welfare Division of HRMO the list of personnel to be included in the vaccination schedule.
Employees who do not get vaccinated on their scheduled vaccination date shall be required to submit a written explanation to the HRMO.
The EO states that personnel who refuse to get inoculated with the Covid-19 vaccine will be sanctioned.
Plantilla personnel who refuse to undergo vaccination will be held administratively liable for insubordination and will be penalized by suspension of one month and one day to six months for the first offense; and dismissal from the service for the second offense, pursuant to Section 50 (d) of the 2017 Rules on Administrative Cases In The Civil Service (2017 RACCS).
For job order, contract of service and volunteers, the City Government will prioritize hiring those who are fully vaccinated.
"The HRMO is tasked to monitor and validate the vaccination of all City Government of Davao personnel. Names of the personnel shall be validated by the HRMO with the Covidd-19 Task Force Vaccination Cluster Data Management Team," it wrote.
However, the City Government provided exemptions.
"A personnel may be exempted from the mandatory Covidd-19 vaccination if his/her name is endorsed by the Vaccine Cluster Head to HRMO as exempted due to medical reason that is listed as a contraindication in all the available vaccines," section 4 of the EO states.
Duterte-Carpio said in a recent radio interview that City employees were already given enough time for them to be vaccinated as they fall under Priority Group A4.
She said the City Government had opened a separate vaccination site for employees.
The mayor, meanwhile, responded to claims that it violates the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Labor Advisory No. 3, signed by Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III, which states that “any employee who refuses or fails to be vaccinated shall not be discriminated against in terms of tenure, promotion, training, pay, and other benefits, among others, or terminated from employment.”
“Wala man mi nag-terminate (We are not terminating anyone) because all contracts end on December 31, 2021. So there is no termination to speak off,” she said.
Department of Interior and Local Government-Davao Region Director Alex Roldan told SunStar Davao in a text message previously that the City Government can make their policy on renewal of contracts.
"I am sure the mayor is aware that this is beyond the right to be employed, but this is about self-preservation," Roldan said.