Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 9)— Iloilo Representative and former Health Secretary Janette Garin wants Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello to rethink the agency’s stand on the “no vaccine, no work” policy.
Garin said that while choosing to get vaccinated remains an option for now since there are no laws mandating it, the mixing of vaccinated and unvaccinated workers can also put more people at risk.
“The secretary repeatedly warns several companies on the ‘no vaccine policy.’ This is an epidemic where the virus is highly transmissible. Well, I do agree na dapat hindi sila tanggalan ng trabaho [that they should not lose their jobs], I also agree that those who are not vaccinated should not be exposed to people who might get sick of the illness,” Garin said during the budget hearing of the proposed 2022 DOLE budget on Thursday.
Garin said statements like these coming from high-ranking cabinet officials only make it difficult for people on the ground to convince the public to get the vaccine. She said they only embolden the agenda of anti-vaxxers, or people who are against vaccines.
“Anti-vaxxers are finding an opportunity to be very strong and convince people na huwag magpabakuna [not to get vaccinated] and say, sige ireklamo niyo iyan sa DOLE [okay, report them to DOLE],” Garin said.
The lawmaker added that allowing unvaccinated people to work would also put more people at risk.
For his part, Bello explained that the “no vaccine, no work” policy has no legal basis.
“It is violative of the constitutional right of a person of free choice unless there is a law mandating people to get vaccinated we cannot compel everybody to get vaccinated,” Bello explained.
The labor chief also cited that the country has no stable or enough supply of vaccines.
Garin clarified that she wants to reassign unvaccinated workers in areas where they cannot infect other people.
“Ayaw mo magpabakuna which is a personal choice, then the management of that company should be allowed to transfer that worker sa ibang area. Pero hindi doon sa area na kaharap niya ang mga immunocompromised na mahahawa niya dahil wala siyang bakuna,” Garin said.
[Translation: If you don’t want to get vaccinated which is a personal choice, then the management of that company should be allowed to transfer that worker in another area. But not where they can infect immunocompromised people.]
Bello said that he is okay with the reassignment of workers, as long as companies do not prevent unvaccinated workers from doing their job.
