Vaccination status not mandatory for employment in Cebu – Garcia
CEBU CITY – An individual’s vaccination status should not be a prerequisite for employment, education, and transactions in government offices.
Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia issued this order to all the mayors in the province through a memorandum that she issued Monday, June 13.
“You are reminded to refrain from implementing or supporting policies that make vaccination mandatory for educational, employment, and other similar government purposes,” Garcia said in the memo.
The lady governor also reminded the mayors that their Rural Health Units (RHUs) “should not discriminate, or will be used to discriminate, against unvaccinated teachers, students, or parents by officials of the Department of Education (DepEd).”
Garcia cited the Covid-19 Vaccination Program Act of 2021 (Republic Act No. 11525) as the basis of her memo.
“Pursuant to Republic Act No. 11525, otherwise known as the Covid-19 Vaccination Program Act of 2021, Covid-19 vaccination shall not be considered as an additional mandatory requirement for educational, employment, and other similar government transaction purposes,” Garcia said.
Garcia’s order came just a few days after she issued a controversial executive order that made the wearing of face masks in open spaces in the province optional.
She stood firm on her EO even if it was rejected by the Department of the Interior and Local Government.