Thread: Philippine Govt Pushes Plan to Withhold Cash Subsidies from Unvaccinated Poor

The Philippines is pushing a controversial plan to withhold cash subsidies to poor Filipinos who refuse to receive COVID-19 vaccinations, but a human rights group says this would violate people’s basic right to choose which drugs go into their bodies.


Presidential spokesman Harry Roque broached the idea in May while pointing out that some sectors of the country’s population were hesitant about receiving vaccine shots against the virus.


Making vaccination a “condition” for receiving grants under the government’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) could help solve the problem of vaccine hesitancy, Roque, a former human rights lawyer, said at the time. The program hands out cash to help poor people pay for food and health bills – on condition that their children are enrolled in school.


“We are after their protection … and for their safety against COVID. That’s why we are proposing to give the 4Ps only upon vaccination,” Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said on Monday in defending the government against criticism over the plan.


“This could help achieve herd immunity,” he said. “That is a proposal right now. The 4Ps is for disadvantaged people, the most vulnerable sector who need the cash more, and if they are vaccinated, that will be a big help to everyone.”


He also said that while the government respected the rights of people to choose the vaccines injected into their bodies, “the virus does not know those rights.”


“It does not discriminate,” Año said.


He pointed to a government survey showing that 64 percent of the population eligible for vaccines had responded that they wanted to be inoculated against COVID-19, which has led to about 44,500 deaths in the Philippines.


“There is now a feeling of urgency, that is why we need [local government units] to implement their strategic communications plan to combat vaccine hesitancy. If we need to go house to house, we will do so,” he told reporters.


However, the government does not appear to be entirely behind this plan.


On Monday, the head of the Philippine Department of Justice said the government could not suspend or terminate subsidies doled out through the 4Ps program if a recipient was not vaccinated, according to a report in the Philippine Star.


“[N]on-vaccination against COVID-19 cannot be a ground for suspension or termination of conditional cash transfer benefits if the beneficiary household has already qualified, and continues to qualify, under the 4Ps Act,” the Star quote Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra as saying.


Still, this is not the first time that the administration has used threats and intimidation to address the COVID-19 pandemic. President Rodrigo Duterte once warned that those Filipinos who refused to be vaccinated would be detained forcibly in their homes.


Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., who heads the government’s national task force against COVID-19, has said he backs the plan to do with cash subsidies under 4Ps, and has called on local governments to craft local ordinances to that effect.


The government’s National Vaccination Operations Center would issue a memorandum containing a list of “incentives” for vaccinated people while including “disincentives” for those unvaccinated, officials have said.


Criticism


The government’s plan is facing strong opposition, with Manila-based rights group Karapatan criticizing it as reflecting the government’s military approach to solving a global health crisis.


“While we encourage the public to get their COVID-19 vaccines … forcing, threatening, and coercing people to get vaccinated by denying them their rights and access to basic services does nothing to address vaccine hesitancy and anti-vaccine disinformation,” Cristina Palabay, Karapatan’s secretary-general, told BenarNews.


“The best way to encourage people to get vaccinated is through a comprehensive and mass public information drive on vaccination,” Palabay said.


The proposal, she said, would do more harm than good because dangling such incentives “was not only punitive and discriminatory but patently anti-poor.”


“Individuals have the right to adopt medical procedures through their voluntary and informed consent, and their refusal to get inoculated should not be used to deny them of their right to work, to receive government aid and subsidy and access to other basic services,” Palabay said.


The challenge for the government is to show people that these vaccines are “free, safe, and effective, and through an approach that respects and upholds their rights,” she said.


The Philippines is among Southeast Asian countries hardest hit by the coronavirus, with 2.8 million cases recorded to date.


The government has ramped up vaccination efforts lately. Sixty-four million shots of the COVID-19 vaccine have been given to people, with 29.4 million people being fully vaccinated, according to the National COVID-19 Vaccination Dashboard.


On Monday, Roque told reporters that Congress passed the cash-grant program and the law could be amended to contain the new provision being advocated by Año.


“In my view, requiring vaccination in exchange for receiving 4Ps benefits is valid,” Roque said.


Galvez, the head of the COVID-19 task force, said there was no reason for anyone not to be vaccinated because the Philippines had adequate vaccine supplies. He noted that nearly 37 percent of the country’s total population has already been fully vaccinated.


He said the government is aiming to inoculate 70 percent of its target population of 54 million Filipinos with at least one dose by the end of this month.

Philippine Govt Pushes Plan to Withhold Cash Subsidies from Unvaccinated Poor — BenarNews

forcing, threatening, and coercing people to get vaccinated by denying them their rights and access to basic services does nothing to address vaccine hesitancy

I bet it fucking does.

^I agree. A few months ago (August), many people in Metro Manila flocked to vaccination sites because of tge rumor which circulated on social media that "no vaccine = no cash aid" (no bakuna = no ayuda)

Roque slams fake news peddlers of ‘no bakuna, no ayuda’: Why haven’t they been infected with COVID-19 yet? – Manila Bulletin

Metro Manila is now implementing a covid passport. No vaccine = no entry in MRT, malls, restos, cinemas, gyms, etc. I think it will be implemented in the provinces when the vax rates are higher.

During the past long weekend (All Saints' Day), people needed vax cards & RT-PCR test results to board planes and ferries if they wanted to travel to the provinces. For buses (from Manila to provinces), they required vax cards.

My local Jollibee (and McD) has a no vax = no dine-in policy. One can order takeaway if unvaxxed.

There's still a lot of vaccine hesitancy among the people.

Originally Posted by katie23

My local Jollibee (and McD) has a no vax = no dine-in policy. One can order takeaway if unvaxxed.

Coming soon here...the local government has already put out a warning on FB about it.

In line with the government's drive to increase vax rates (still lots of vax hesitancy in the provinces), the govt will require onsite workers to be fully vaxxed starting Dec 1. Those in the transport sector also need to be vaxxed if they want to be able to operate.

In a press briefing, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque also said that local govt units are encouraged to pass measures to incentivize vaccinated people (like the example of topper - FB announcement that restos won't allow dine-in if unvaxxed). I won't post the YT link since it's in Tagalog.

In Cebu city, I've heard that they already don't allow entry in malls & other buildings if you're unvaxxed.

Link:

Gov’t to require COVID-19 vaxxing of on-site workers starting Dec. 1 | Inquirer News

i believe in freedom of speech and choice but there are certain boundaries when you live in a society, particularly when you rely on its support, so these anti-vaxers (vaccine hesitants) can either opt in to society or i'm afraid opt themselves out with consequences.

The UK Govt has made it a condition of working in the NHS and care homes that you must be vaccinated ...end off.

Originally Posted by katie23

In Cebu city, I've heard that they already don't allow entry in malls & other buildings if you're unvaxxed.

This is the case already in the Eastern Province in Saudi. Everyone has to flash their Tawakkalna app (vax record) at the door before proceeding into the mall.

Covid vaccines don't work for long, won't cover new strains, won't prevent you from getting it and pass it around (albeit with reduced symptoms and contagious timespan)...and yet some are so willing to get people's rights violated because of it...if all of this was based on negative test or antibody checks I would understand...but here?

Is the reverse possible, meaning unvaccinated tax-payers partially exempted from tax because of reduced rights and assistance if they get sick?

Originally Posted by happynz

This is the case already in the Eastern Province in Saudi. Everyone has to flash their Tawakkalna app (vax record) at the door before proceeding into the mall.

And that's been so for more than a year now, no?

And still about 20% of my colleagues didn't have smartphones.

^yes, I've heard of the Tawakalna app from some OFWs. There are also similar apps (vaccine passport-app) for other countries like UAE, Kuwait & other middle east countries. Italy also has a "green pass". Most of the OFWs coming home to PH have been vaccinated in their country of residence.

PH has included KSA, UAE, Oman, Japan in its new green list. Filipinos coming from green list countries don't have to quarantine in hotel (just home quarantine). Thailand, USA, UK & most euro countries are in the yellow list (5N quarantine). Netherlands & Faroe Islands are now in the red list. I can understand Netherlands being red listed since they have huge increase in cases & will soon be on partial lockdown.

Foreign tourists are still not allowed in PH.

Link:

PH to ban travelers from 2 'red list' areas from Nov. 16-30 | Global News

Originally Posted by katie23

Foreign tourists are still not allowed in PH.

Damn, really going to make an already bad economy worse.

Originally Posted by cyrille

And still about 20% of my colleagues didn't have smartphones.

How anyone can cope in the kingdom without a mobile phone, I don't know...With few exceptions everything is tied to iqama and mobile number.