The government may allow overseas Filipinos workers (OFWs) to choose their coronavirus vaccines if a certain brand will be required by their employers abroad.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque has raised the possibility of giving vaccine priority to Filipino seafarers and other OFWs should their overseas deployment depend on their vaccination.
"Kung mayroon naman po talagang basehan, at ito ay magiging precondition para sa hanapbuhay para sa ating kababayan, may posibilidad po (If there is really a basis, and this will be a precondition to the jobs of our countrymen, there is a possibility)," Roque said during a televised press briefing when asked if the OFWs will be exempted from the government's appeal not to choose their vaccine brands.
But for now, Roque explained that the proposed vaccine priority for OFWs will be studied thoroughly. President Duterte has yet to decide on the matter, he added.
"Pag-aaralan pa po. Ang sabi ng Presidente (It will be studied. The President said) there may be basis for the request and again, explaining the President's position, 'yung constitutional principle involved is equal protection of the law na dapat, although similarly situated, should be treated in the same manner," he said.
"Pero kung mayroon naman genuine basis for distinction baka puwede po so ang sagot ni Presidnete neither here or there. Pag-aralan natin (But if there is genuine basis for distinction, it might allowed so the president's answer is neither here or there. Let's study it)," he added.
Senator Christopher Go earlier appealed to the government to give priority to seafarers and other OFWs once additional western-made vaccines such as Pfizer and Moderna arrive in the country. According to Go, these workers, who may be required by their employees to be vaccinated, must get inoculated soon so they can resume their livelihood abroad.
The senator made the appeal on behalf of the OFWs when he attended the meeting with the President and other Cabinet members on pandemic response at the Malago clubhouse inside Malacañang Park Wednesday, May 26.
Reacting to Go's appeal, the President initially appeared reluctant to let the OFWs get ahead of the vaccine line for the western brands. He later conceded that "separate program" might be considered for the OFW vaccination.
"I would like to go along with them. But when you begin to distribute 'yong mga bakuna and pipiliin mo 'yong tao, it is not really a matter of where you are going. Sabi ng tao, "Eh hindi namin problema 'yan kung pupunta sila sa ano' (But when you begin to distribution the vaccines and you let the people chose, it is not really a matter of where you are going. People might say, 'It's not our problem if they will travel abroad')," he said.
"So that should have a separate program," he added.
The President has appealed to Filipinos not to be choosy about the vaccine brand after expressing disappointment over some people's bias towards Pfizer shots. He urged the public to get vaccinated regardless of the brand especially in the face of the threat posed by the new coronavirus variants.
READ: As PH battles new COVID variants, Duterte tells public to get vaccinated 'right away'
The government has so far administered more than 4 million doses of coronavirus vaccines, benefiting initially health workers, seniors, and those with comorbidity. The country's essential workers and indigent population will be next in the vaccination line starting June.
The government earlier bared plans to inoculate 58 million adult Filipinos to attain herd immunity before the end of the year. The government's goal was reportedly revised to attaining "population protection" against the virus through mass vaccination instead.