Pateros Mayor Miguel “Ike” Ponce III is in favor of a proposal to relax rules for vaccinated individuals as an incentive.

“Together with the other mayors, we are also looking at a direction of easing up, at least a little of our economy because we want to give benefits to those who got vaccinated,” he said during the Go Negosyo live forum on Facebook Monday.

He said the municipal government had asked the Department of Health and health experts to determine and make a study on the viral load of a vaccinated person who contracts coronavirus disease (COVID-19) compared to an unvaccinated person “so as to know or determine the direction in our program of vaccination.”

“A year ago, we were already here. (We have been) wearing face masks, face shields, (practicing) social distancing, isolation. Though we are not saying that we will abandon these health protocols, I believe that once we get vaccinated, we should be given a little leeway, a little advantage over people who are not vaccinated,” he said.

The Pateros municipal government has vaccinated its target population of 56,000 with the first dose, or 80 percent of the total population of 70,000. Close to 90 percent of the target had been fully vaccinated, said Ponce.

Ponce said Pateros, the smallest local government unit (LGU) in the National Capital Region, no longer has a target and is aiming to vaccinate all its residents. The municipal government recently started registering 12 to 17 years old for vaccination.

“We are already preparing the registration of these minors so that once the national government allows us to make the vaccination and there are available vaccines already, we can also start with them,” said Ponce.

In addition, the mayor revealed that the municipal government has vaccinated 7,000 to 8,000 non-residents.