Senator Francis Tolentino is seeking a legislative inquiry on the vaccination of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) following his concern over policies of other countries to allow and ease the entry of individuals injected with specific brands of COVID-19 vaccines.
Tolentino recently filed Senate Resolution No. 741, which asks the Senate labor committee to look into the vaccine rollout with regards to OFWs as he called for a national policy that is also consistent with the policies being implemented by host countries.
"The differing treatments implemented by host countries on the basis of the type of COVID-19 vaccine administered may entail additional costs at the expense of a deployed OFW," Tolentino said in the measure.
"Since the Philippines is continuously deploying Filipino workers abroad amidst the pandemic, there is a need to craft policies that are aligned and consistent with those of the prospective host countries for the proper implementation of, the COVID-19 vaccination program of OFWs, taking into consideration their health and safety," he added.
The administration lawmaker noted that countries in the European Union (EU) are planning to exempt fully-vaccinated foreign travelers from quarantine protocols, but only to those inoculated with vaccines made by Western pharmaceutical companies Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson.
Saudi Arabia was also reported easing its travel restrictions for inbound travelers vaccinated with Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson, but excluded those administered with Chinese-made vaccines, such as Sinovac and Sinopharm.
Last May 30, President Duterte directed vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. to prioritize the vaccination of OFWs, including seafarers using Western-made COVID-19 vaccines as most international shipping companies only allow embarkation of crew members who were inoculated with Western vaccines.
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) previously clarified that OFWs not vaccinated with the preferred brands will still be allowed entry but will have to undergo the required RT-PCR test and the quarantine upon arrival.
During a hearing by the Senate labor panel, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III also allayed Tolentino's fear over the requirement of EU countries.
"I don't think that is a correct information, your Honor. In fact, we are meeting some of them anytime this week, Your Honor, because they need not less than 5,000 of our caregivers. And, in fact, I had a meeting with an ambassador, nakikiusap siya na ipadala na namin sila (he wanted them deployed as soon as possible)," Bello told the senator last May 10.
The Senate Committee on Whole is set to conduct a inquiry on Tuesday, June 15, on the national vaccination program, which would include concerns of OFWs and returning overseas Filipinos.