President Duterte has ordered Presidential spokesman Harry Roque and Vaccine Czar Carlito Galvez Jr. to hold programs at least two times a week to inform the public about the government's vaccination program against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Duterte made the announcement after the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) reported that only three out of 10 Metro Manila residents are willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine jabs.
In his weekly public address on Feb/ 15, Duterte said that the public should know more about the vaccines and the vaccination program, noting that the people has only been hearing about it during his weekly public addresses.
"It should be given twice a week para you'll be better informed of what government is doing. 'Yan siguro ang paraan diyan (I think that should do it)," he added.
The President said he was leaving it to Roque to make the arrangements for this new effort to boost the public's confidence in the vaccine.
He likewise assured the people that the government was doing its best to address the pandemic.
"We are trying our best... We are in the process of really working towards the realization of our vaccine program," Duterte said.
On Monday, Roque said that President Duterte finally agreed to be vaccinated in public to help boost the public's confidence in the vaccine.
He added that other government officials have expressed willingness to be among the first to receive the vaccine to boost public confidence, but appealed to critics to not accuse the government of giving VIP treatment to any of them.
"Gagawin lang natin 'yan dahil nga kinakailangan mapataas natin yung kompyansa ng ating mga kababayan na magpabakuna (We are only doing this because we need to boost the public's confidence in the vaccine)," he said.
President Duterte has expressed a preference for either the Chinese or Russian COVID-19 vaccine but neither has been given the emergency use authorization (EUA).
The Philippines is set to receive the first batch of COVID-19 vaccines this month.