Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo M. Año cited on Thursday, Jan. 20, the Metro Manila local government units (LGUs) with approved ordinances that restrict the mobility of the unvaccinated individuals amid a surge of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases.

In commending the Metro Manila localities, Año urged the provincial LGUs to emulate their counterparts and support the similar call of the League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP) and the Regional Interagency Task Forces (RIATFs).

“Maraming salamat sa Metro Manila mayors and city councils sa agaran ninyong aksyon at pagtugon sa panawagan ni Pangulong Duterte at sa tawag ng pagkakataon ngayong panahon ng pandemya. Ito naman ay para na rin sa kapakanan ng lahat, bakunado man o hindi, at para hindi na lumobo ang mga COVID-19 cases sa ating bansa (Thank you very much to the Metro Manila mayors and city councils for their expeditious action and response to President Duterte’s urging and the call of the circumstances at this time of the pandemic. This is for the good of everybody, vaccinated or otherwise, and to prevent the surge of the COVID cases in the country),’’ Año said.

The LPP led by Marinduque Governor Presbiterio Velasco earlier called on his member-provinces to pass similar ordinances in their respective provinces as a means to increase the vaccination coverage and protect the unvaccinated individuals from the disease.

“Kasama ng LPP at ng RIATFs, nananawagan rin kami sa mga LGUs sa labas ng Metro Manila na kumilos na rin at magpasa ng mga ordinansang katulad nito (With the LPP and the RIATFs, we urge the LGUs outside Metro Manila to also act and pass ordinances like this. Let us all move in one pace so that we can collectively surmount the threat of Omicron,” he added.

Of the Metro Manila LGUs that have passed their policies against the unvaccinated, Año said 14 have approved their ordinances.

“These are the cities of Caloocan, Malabon, Mandaluyong, Manila, Marikina, Muntinlupa, Quezon, San Juan, Valenzuela, Makati, Navotas, Parañaque, and the municipality of Pateros. Meanwhile, Las Piñas City, Pasay City, and Taguig City issued executive orders restricting the movement of the unvaccinated,’’ Año stated.

“Malaking bagay itong mga ordinansa na ito na ipinasa ng ating mga LGU sa Metro Manila (The ordinances passed by the Metro Manila LGUs are important). Through these ordinances, we are protecting the unvaccinated from the threat of COVID and we are preventing our healthcare system from being overwhelmed,” Año maintained.

The DILG chief stressed that their support and encouragement to the local governments will spell the difference in the country’s continuing fight against COVID-19.

“We need to act in unison and quickly because the health and lives of our people are at stake. Sa bandang huli, ang pinakamahalaga naman ay mapangalagaan natin ang kalusugan at kapakanan ng mga mamamayan, lalo na iyong mga at-risk (In the end, what is most important is for us to protect the health and safety of our countrymen, especially those who are at-risk),’’ he said.

Año explained that the passage of the ordinances “gives added teeth to the department’s directive to barangay officials to compile a list of unvaccinated individuals in their respective barangays.’’

He emphasized that the DILG’s policy is "neither unconstitutional nor violative of a person’s right to privacy” since it is within the bounds of Republic Act (RA) No. 10173 or the "Data Privacy Act of 2012" which allows the processing of personal information for a legitimate purpose, and RA No. 11332 or the "Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act.”

Año also assured the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) “that the inventory (of the unvaccinated) will not be published or released to the public and will only serve as a reference by the barangays in implementing the ordinances passed by LGUs.’’

“In this regard, the data identifying unvaccinated individuals is needed by the State to properly implement quarantine protocols needed to protect the unvaccinated as well as to protect the health system from being overwhelmed,” he noted.

Earlier, the President ordered the restriction of the unvaccinated as a means to address the national emergency caused by the pandemic surge.

“I am now giving orders to the village chiefs to look for those persons who are not vaccinated and just request them or order them, if you may, to stay put,” Duterte said.