A farmers group hit the proposal of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) and Department of Health (DOH) to make vaccination mandatory for specific sectors and urged to make economic aid mandatory instead.
In a statement, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) Chairperson Danilo Ramos reiterated that vaccination should remain voluntary and the granting of economic aid for vulnerable sectors be mandatory.
"Ang dapat na gawing mandatory at mabilisan sa ngayon ay ang pagbibigay ng ayuda at pang-ekonomikong tulong sa mamamayan (What must be made mandator and urgent now is the provision of aid and economic assistance to the people)," Ramos underscored.
"The government can't just impose a jab on anyone or discriminate against anyone who still hasn't got the COVID vaccine. Convincing people to get a vaccine will be a continuous process of education and public information on the necessity of achieving herd immunity," he added, noting a high vaccine hesitancy in far-flung rural areas due to "lack of convincing information."
While it's good that COVID-19 cases are going down on a national scale, Ramos stressed that a vaccination program alone will not be sufficient to shield Filipinos from getting infected.
He added that the government must also ensure steady livelihood and food accessibility for the population.
"If the majority of the people remain jobless and lacking in livelihood, it will be hard to stay healthy both physically and mentally," the peasant leader noted.
"In fact, COVID worsened the hunger situation, with food inflation still high at 5.6 percent despite the slower pace of price hike of meat, vegetables, and fish. Hindi abot kaya ng masa ang presyo ng pagkain. Wala pang pambili kaya gutom talaga ang marami (The food prices are not affordable to the masses so a lot of people are really getting hungry)."