Filipino seafarers will be given priority to receive western coronavirus vaccines based on a latest decision of President Duterte.

The President has granted the request of the seafarers to get western vaccines since such brand preference has become a requirement to their overseas employment.

Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr has been designated by the President to arrange the vaccination of the local sailors to facilitate their deployment abroad.

"We are ready to vaccinate them with the western brand. There is no violation of the equal protection of law because... there is no distinction and there is no clear evidence to show that Pfizer, Moderna are superior to the Sinovac and Sinopharm. Puro bakuna 'yan (These are all vaccines). It's generic," the President said in a televised address Monday, May 31.

"There is no violation of equal protection clause because this is what the nature of their work requires," he added.

The government earlier discouraged Filipinos from becoming choosy about the vaccine brand, saying the vaccines are all proven safe and effective. Duterte also previously said Filipinos could not just demand Pfizer vaccines due to the country's limited supply, insisting the all vaccine brands must be distributed equitably across the country.

But in his remarks Monday, the President recognized the concern of the seafarers about their vaccination, which has been made as condition to their employment abroad.

Duterte explained that the western vaccines will be given to seafarers "not because they are special breed" who must be inoculated. "Kailangan mo bigyan dahil (You must give them because) their work requires the vaccination of US-made or western brand," he said.

Duterte said "to make it simple," he would ask Galvez to arrange the seafarers' vaccination either by group or by province.

"They can always maybe tawag lang sila o mag-text sila at i-confirm ng mga doktor doon. Secretary Galvez will give the go-signal na bigyan sila ng US made (They can always, maybe call or text and confirm from the doctors. Secretary Galvez will give the go-signal to give them US-made vaccines)," Duterte said.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque earlier reported to the President that the Filipino seafarers have requested to be vaccinated with brands authorized in the European Union, that includes Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson. The vaccine preference was supposedly due to the unpredictability of next deployment of the Filipino maritime workers.

"'Ito nga yung inaprubahan ninyo na. Dahil sa Europa, hindi sila isasakay, hindi sila pababalikin kung wala sila Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, kung puwede sana sila payagan kumuha ng western brands (You already approved this. Because they will not be allowed to board, to return to Europe if they are not vaccinated with Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, they're asking if they can be allowed to get western brands)," Roque told the President.

"Tutol ito sa polisiya na walang pilian pero karamihan po talaga ng mga barko ay nag-re-require ng western brands (This is against the policy about not being choosy but most of the ships really require western brands)," he added.

Roque relayed the gratitude of the seafarers' groups to the President's latest decision during the meeting Monday.

The country has so far received 8.3 million doses of coronavirus vaccines, including products from Sinovac, AstraZeneca, Sputnik V, and Pfizer. Over a million people have been fully vaccinated so far in the country.