If it only were up to him, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. would make the vaccination program against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) a must for everybody despite certain sectors opposing such move as it could supposedly be an anti-poor policy.

“Sa akin pong palagay at ng DILG , napapanahon na at kailangan i-mandate ang vaccination. Hindi tayo makakalagpas sa pandemyang ito hangga’t hindi lahat nababakunahan (I think, and the DILG would agree, that it is the right time and we need to make the vaccination as mandatory. We will not be able to go beyond this pandemic if not everybody is vaccinated),” he said in a “Laging Handa” public briefing.

The vaccine czar gave this response when asked whether or not he supports the proposal of the DILG to implement a “no vaccine, no subsidy” for the beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).

DILG spokesperson and Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said last Saturday that the agency was thinking of implementing the policy to compel more people to get inoculated amid a relatively high vaccine hesitancy despite consistent reassurance from the government that all the vaccines being used in the program are safe and effective.

The proposal was already forwarded to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) which will determine if there are legal problems that would arise once it is enforced.

However, the proposed policy was met with opposition from the public and local chief executives, among them is Navotas City Mayor Toby Tiangco.

Tiangco said the public should instead be convinced to get the COVID-19 shot by opening up more establishments and easing the restrictions for the vaccinated people, or giving incentives to those who have gotten the life-saving jab.

Stilll, Galvez expressed solidarity with the DILG for its planned implementation of a “no vaccine, no subsidy” policy as he noted it will address vaccine hesitancy and effectively manage the 47 million COVID-19 vaccines that are in government’s stockpile.

According to the latest survey of SWS on vaccine hesitancy released on Nov. 5, about 18 percent of Filipinos are still unwilling to get vaccinated while 19 percent are uncertain to have themselves inoculated.

Meanwhile, the vaccine acceptance rose to 64 percent from 55 percent in June, which means that six out of 10 Filipinos now were willing to have the life-saving jab. The recent survey was conducted from Sept. 27 to 30 involving 1,500 respondents across the country.

Galvez said the vaccine hesitancy in the country still represents “a very sizeable” part of the country’s 110 million total population. This translates to around 40.7 million Filipinos who are either still hesitant to get the vaccine or sure to not get it.

“Sila ang maghahasik ng lagim sa mamamayan (They are the ones who will sow terror among the public),” the vaccine czar said.

But by compelling people to get vaccinated, Galvez said the risk of another surge will be minimal as more people will be protected and the chances of the infected to be hospitalized and die will be reduced.

“Iyong mandated vaccination is necessary at parang katulad lang ng ‘no smoking’ sa public areas. Mas mahirap pa po ang ating dinadanas ngayon. Napakalaki ng epekto nito sa ating ekonomiya at sa kalusugan (The mandated vaccination is necessary and much like the ‘no smoking’ policy in public areas. What we are experiencing now is even harder. It greatly affects our economy and public health),” Galvez noted.