(File photo)
MANILA – The law that created the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) should be amended before implementing the proposed “no vaccine, no subsidy” for its beneficiaries amid the prevailing Covid-19 pandemic, Malacañang said on Monday.
This, after the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) proposed to exclude unvaccinated 4Ps beneficiaries against Covid-19 from receiving cash subsidies under the program to address the vaccine hesitancy.
"Well, ang tingin ko po, ay pupwede naman pong i-require iyan sa 4Ps pero baka kinakailangan pong amyendahan ang batas kasi 'yung batas po ang nagsasabi kung sino ang entitled sa 4Ps (Well I think, we can require that in 4Ps, but there might be a need to amend the law because it is the law that says who is entitled to 4Ps," Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in his regular Palace briefing.
Republic Act 11310 also known as 4Ps Act provides cash grants to Filipino households below the poverty line after meeting certain conditions of the government.
"Hindi lang po ito isang executive program, ito po ay naisabatas ng Kongreso sa pamamagitan ng RA 11310. So, meron naman probisyon doon kung paano magkakaroon ng pag-amyemda sa batas (This is not just an executive program, it was enacted by the Congress through RA 11310. So, there is a provision there on how to amend the law)," Roque said.
However, he said there is a valid reason for recommending that vaccination be required in exchange for receiving 4Ps benefits.
"Pero iyon lang po ang aking tingin dito, baka kinakailangan po magkaroon ng amendments sa ating batas (But that’s my personal opinion, I think the law should be amended)," he added.
While the amendment of the law is yet to be done, Roque said the “no vaccine, no subsidy” policy will remain a suggestion that the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) should study further.
“That is a suggestion na dapat pong pag-aralan pa ng DSWD dahil ang DSWD naman po ay sang-ayon sa batas, ang implementing agency ng 4Ps (That is a suggestion that should be studied by DSWD because according to the law, it is the implementing agency of 4Ps),” he said.
Clamor from LGUs
In an interview with CNN Philippines on Monday, DILG spokesperson Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said the proposal is a result of the clamor of some local government units (LGUs) having difficulties in vaccinating their constituents.
“In fact we just came from LGUs last week, we went to Atimonan, Quezon, we went to Pili, Camarines Sur, we went to Tigaon, Camarines Sur and many other places as far as Sorsogon City and there is a difficulty on the part LGUs to have their 4Ps beneficiaries vaccinated, so this is not just a proposal from the DILG,” he said.
This came as LGUs scramble to ramp up vaccination efforts after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered sanctions against those that have sluggish vaccination efforts.
“The President told the DILG to sanction the mayors who will be slow or underperforming based on the target that the NVOC (National Vaccination Operations Center) has given to them so the LGUs told us, ‘We have no problem with compliance but please help us. Let’s have a scheme wherein it will be a disincentive for 4Ps beneficiaries -- those who do not want to get vaccinated will have their subsidy withheld’,” Malaya added.
Citing data from the DSWD, Malaya said only 12 percent of some 4.4 million 4Ps beneficiaries have been vaccinated.
“This 4.4 million are simply the households. So if you multiply that by three or four or maybe six then, you’ll get some 18 to 20 (million) Filipinos and based on the data, individuals yes, and based on the data from the DSWD, only 12 percent of these households have been vaccinated so this is really a large segment of the population that we need to be vaccinated and we are running out of time and our target is to have population protection by the end of the year and we are targeting a million vaccinees per a day, that is why the DILG is proposing this scheme,” he added.
In a separate interview, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said the proposal merely wants to protect 4Ps beneficiaries from the disease.
“‘Yun kasing 4Ps are indigent people, vulnerable sectors din kasi yan dahil unang-una kapos yung pera, kung magkasakit sila ng Covid, ang laking gastos nyan, saan sila kukuha ng pera, siyempre sa government hospitals din sila tatakbo. ‘Yung iba pag namatay and for cremation, wala naman silang pera (4Ps beneficiaries are indigent people. They belong to the vulnerable sectors because they don’t have enough money. If they get infected with Covid, that will cost a lot. Where will they get money for treatment? Of course, they will seek treatment at government hospitals. Worse, for others who will die and will need cremation, they might not afford it),” he added.
Año, meanwhile, said they will continue to double their efforts to encourage more people to get the jabs.
“We have so many advocacy programs at the DILG. The Department of Health is also working on that. Recently, we have issued a memorandum circular to LGUs for their risk communication plan and strategic communication. That includes everything, especially addressing vaccine hesitancy,” the DILG chief said. (PNA)
