Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 10) — Most of the over four million beneficiaries of the government’s conditional cash transfer program are still unvaccinated, according to a Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) official.
“Meron po tayong around 3.5 million na 4Ps (Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program) beneficiaries na hindi pa po bakunado (We have around 3.5 million unvaccinated 4Ps beneficiaries). That is as of Nov. 5,” DSWD Assistant Secretary Glenda Relova said in Wednesday’s Laging Handa briefing.
The low vaccination coverage is partly due to the fact that the vaccination of individuals in the indigent sector (A5) – to which the beneficiaries belong – started later than other priority groups, Relova noted.
The official said the department has launched a COVID-19 vaccine education program, which helped replace the “fears” and “hesitations” of 4Ps beneficiaries with confidence in getting vaccinated.
The DSWD is also looking at incentives for the 4Ps beneficiaries and the public, in an attempt to increase immunization rates, Relova added. One of the possible incentives is giving priority to fully vaccinated individuals when it comes to DSWD’s livelihood programs, the assistant secretary said.
Local governments have proposed to require COVID-19 vaccination among 4Ps beneficiaries before they receive their subsidy, the Department of the Interior and Local Government earlier said.
While the DSWD is “open” to the proposal, the existing 4Ps law needs to be amended first before making COVID-19 vaccination mandatory for beneficiaries, Relova said. Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque made the same argument earlier this week.
