Vaccination should not be made a condition for poor families before receiving cash assistance under the government's Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), Senator Juan Edgardo "Sonny" Angara said on Saturday, May 22.
The chairman of the Senate finance committee opposed the proposal of Presidential spokesman Harry Roque to include COVID-19 vaccination in the conditions for receiving the benefits under the 4Ps, saying that Filipinos, especially the indigents, badly need government assistance due to the prevailing pandemic.
"Huwag naman siguro dahil maraming nangangailangan talaga. At personal decision nila 'yon kung hindi magpabakuna (I hope they don't pursue that because many families are really in need. And it is still their personal decision should they choose not to get vaccinated)," Angara said in an interview over radio DWIZ.
"Kung sila ay bahagi ng six million families na binibigyan ng conditional cash transfer (CCT), huwag na sanang gawing kondisyon 'yon dahil pangangailangan talaga ng pamilya nila 'yon (If they are part of the six million families given the CCT, vaccination should not be made a condition because they badly need governement aid)," he added.
Roque made the pitch during a recorded meeting with President Duterte aired last Tuesday, May 18. He saw this as a solution to the public's hesitancy to get vaccinated against the novel coronavirus, even as he admitted that this was a "big challenge" to the government's communication and information efforts.
While he said vaccination would remain voluntary, "kumbaga magiging kundisyon kung gusto nilang makatanggap ng ayuda (this could be a condition if they want to receive the aid)."
He said such condition could also apply to the upcoming rounds of cash aid under the Bayanihan 3 being crafted in Congress.
On Friday, the House of Representatives' Committee on Appropriations approved the proposed Bayanihan 3, which allocates P405.6 billion for COVID-19 stimulus, including emergency and social amelioration for Filipinos.
Angara said the Senate finance panel will begin discussing the measure once approved in the House on third and final reading.