Solons call for improved vaccination drive for poor
Anakalusugan Party-list Representative Michael “Mike” Defensor urged the national government to improve the vaccination and ayuda schemes to the poor and marginalized sector while ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro urged the government to intensify its campaign on the benefit of vaccines against COVID-19 to convince more poor Filipinos to get the jabs.
The two solons expressed disappointment on how the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging and Infectious Disease (IATF) is handling the vaccination program.
Reports said there are members of the 4Ps (Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino) who still refuse the COVID-19 vaccines.
Earlier, the Interior and Local Government spokesperson Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said the government is exploring the possibility of stripping 4Ps beneficiaries of their subsidies if they refuse to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
But Defensor said this proposal is downright oppressive and anti-poor, and simply unacceptable.
“ Indigent families and their dependent children will suffer more if they get deprived of their cash subsidies,” Defensor, House committee on welfare of children vice chairperson, said.
“Instead of penalizing poverty-stricken families, the government should find better ways to further improve public access to COVID-19 vaccination services,” Defensor added.
This year, the 4Ps program has a budget of P106.8 billion of which P99.2 billion is allotted for the cash grants, including the amount for rice subsidies, of 4.4 million qualified household-beneficiaries.
In the proposed P5.024 trillion national budget, Defensor said 4Ps – a poverty reduction and human capital investment program – has a higher allocation of P115.7 billion.
For her part, Castro said poor Filipinos should not be blamed for the poor service and poor campaign.
“Bakit laging ang mamamayan ang pinaparusahan sa kakulangan ng pandemic response ng administrasyong ito? Imbes na ipataw ang ‘no vaccine, no 4Ps,’ bakit hindi na lang ilapit sa mga komunidad ang bakuna at turuan sila sa benepisyo ng bakuna at tanggalin sa isipn nila ang mga negatibong at kadalasang maling balita tungkol sa bakuna. At pinakamahalaga, dapat siguruhing sapat ang bakuna para sa mga mamamayan,” Castro also said.
