Duterte: Use all government assets to vaccinate poor communities

MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte has ordered agencies to use all government assets to ensure that the vaccines would reach poor communities.

In a public address on Monday, Duterte floated the idea of coming up with mobile vaccination teams that would serve people in slum areas.

“We are thinking of going mobile, you go there, or if you are near the barangay, you just wait because my order is for the team to give you the vaccine while traveling,” Duterte said.

“We will use all government assets. We will use all the vehicles of the government. Not necessarily from the DILG (Department of the Interior and Local Government). We must contribute and the other departments must take note of this. You have to contribute, I reiterate that this is a fight not only against COVID but against despair and hopelessness,” he added.

Duterte said poor families have to be vaccinated because many of them stay in one room, making it difficult for them to observe physical distancing.

Health Secretary Franciso Duque III, however, said bringing vaccination to the slums would pose challenges such as lack of manpower to monitor the vaccine’s side effects on recipients.

Duque noted that a person who receives a vaccine should be observed for about 30 minutes to one hour.

He said the vaccination would require 100 people a day for one inoculation site.

“So if there are 4,500 vaccination sites, you will be expecting to vaccinate 450,000 people a day, Mr. President. And because we are targeting 70 million people to be vaccinated to reach herd immunity, Mr. President, it will take about five to six months to complete the first dose of vaccinating 70 million Filipinos,” Duque explained.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque noted that indigents are among the priorities in the vaccination program.

Roque clarified that the vaccination teams would not conduct house-to-house inoculation in slum areas.

He said local governments would establish vaccination centers in areas that are accessible to informal settlers.

“If there are adverse effects, an ambulance is on standby. There will also be vaccination centers near hospitals,” Roque said.

Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez said the general public vaccination to be handled by local governments may start in late April or early May.

Distribute face masks

Duterte wants the government to distribute free face masks as the Philippines grapples with fresh spikes in COVID-19 infections.

In his public address on Monday, Duterte said some people could not afford to buy new face masks and are forced to continue wearing worn out ones.

He said a face mask may not serve its purpose of protecting the user if it is already worn out.

“Others are using old face masks. They have been using it for a month because, you know, they do not have money to buy. We have to provide the mask for everybody,” the President said. “If the person does not have the money to buy masks, how do you expect compliance from him?”

Duterte said the interior department and barangays can help in distributing face masks and ensuring that health and safety measures are followed.

“During this time, the government must provide to the people. When they get sick...you cannot flog a dead horse,” he said.

Standby cash aid

There is a need for standby cash aid for emergency release to the people as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to rise, Sen. Risa Hontiveros said.

Hontiveros said the proposal should be done even if the administration’s economic managers refused to support Bayanihan 3.

“Four million Filipinos and their families have no source of income on a daily basis because they are unemployed. Those who are employed have reduced working hours. We need to help them tide over these localized lockdowns, ”she said.

“The daily increase in COVID cases is alarming. We must prepare for all possible scenarios, including mobility restrictions, especially after Metro Manila mayors have reimposed longer curfew hours,” she added.

Hontiveros urged the economic managers to consider giving another round of cash grants to families affected by COVID-19.   – Cecille Suerte Felipe