PRESIDENTIAL Spokesperson Harry Roque said on Monday, November 8, 2021, that requiring beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) to get vaccinated against coronavirus disease (Covid-19) to be able to receive their financial assistance would need amendment of existing law.
Under Republic Act 11310, or the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program Act, poorest of the poor families will receive grant worth P3,000 to P5,000 provided the family complies with conditions promoting human development, such as keeping students in school, engaging in healthy practices and family development, improving the health nutritional status of pregnant and post-partum mothers, infants and young children.
“Tingin ko po puwede naman i-require yan sa 4Ps pero baka kinakailangan po amyendahan ang batas kasi ‘yung batas po ang nagsasabi kung sino ang entitled sa 4Ps. Hindi lang po to isang executive program, ito po ay naisabatas ng Kongreso sa papamagitan ng RA 1130, so meron naman pong kundisyon doon kung paano magkakaroon ng paga-amyenda ng batas,” Roque said in a televised press briefing.
“Sa tingin ko naman po ay isang balidong dahilan na irequire ang vaccination kapalit ng pagtatanggap ng 4P benefits,” he added.
Roque said the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the implementing agency of the law, should review the suggestion made earlier by local government units supported by vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. in the bid to encourage more people to get vaccinated in order to prevent severe infection caused by the virus.
As of November 4, 28,718,856 or 37.23 percent of the target population have been fully vaccinated, while 37,355 164 or 48.43 of the target population received the first dose.
In a separate television interview, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) spokesperson Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said only 12 percent out of around 18 million beneficiaries of 4Ps have been vaccinated against Covid-19.
“This is really a [large] number of our population that needs to get vaccinated and we are running out of time. Our target is to have population protection by the end of the year and we’re also targeting a million vaccinees per day,” Malaya said.
Various groups said, however, that “disincentivizing” 4Ps beneficiaries if they do not get vaccinated is an anti-poor policy.
Several lawmakers also expressed concern about the suggestion, saying the National Government should instead boost vaccine literacy to entice more people to get Covid-19 jabs. (SunStar Philippines)