Gov't mandates COVID-19 jabs for workers in areas with enough vaccine supply

Starting December 1, 2021, vaccination against COVID-19 will be mandatory for eligible employees tasked to do on-site work in areas where there are sufficient supplies of vaccines, Malacañang said Friday.

The order covers employees both in the public and private sector, according to presidential spokesperson Harry Roque.

"In compliance with the directives of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, the Inter-Agency Task Force approved measures to employ a whole-of-government solution to increase demand for COVID-19 vaccination," Roque said.

"These measures are to take effect beginning December 1, 2021."

Roque said eligible employees who remain unvaccinated may not be terminated but instead required to undergo regular RT-PCR testing, or antigen tests, at their own expense.

Meanwhile, public transportation services in the road, rail, maritime, and aviation sectors should mandate all their eligible workers to be fully vaccinated as a condition to continue their operations, Roque said.

IATF to LGUs

For this, the IATF has called on local government units (LGUs) to issue orders or ordinances providing incentives for fully vaccinated individuals, and for business establishments to require proof of vaccination before individuals and/or entities may undertake or qualify for certain activities to aid in ramping up the government's COVID-19 vaccination program.

Workers who will be vaccinated during work hours will also be considered present for work provided that he or she is able to present sufficient proof of a confirmed vaccination schedule.

Roque said a medical clearance issued by a government health office or birth certificate will serve as a valid proof of ineligibility for vaccination.

The national government also enjoined all agencies to implement measures prioritizing fully vaccinated individuals availing of government programs and services. 

Law needed

Meanwhile, citing the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Department of Health (DOH) reiterated that there must be a law in place for this.

"It will depend if we have a law to support that. ‘Yun naman po ay nakapagbigay na ng position ang ating Department of Justice na kailangan ng batas para tayo ay magkaroon ng ganitong mga klaseng mandates," she said.

(It will depend if we have a law to support that. The DOJ has given its position on this that we need a law if we pass these kinds of mandates.)

The DOH said it will support the mandatory of specific sectors such as healthcare workers.

"May specific sectors na susuportahan ang DOH, pero ‘yang suporta namin kailangan may basehan din kami ng batas. Kaya antayin po natin ang DOJ to give their statement on this," she said.

(The DOH will support specific sectors, but we need this to have a basis. So let’s wait for the DOJ to give their statement on this.)

GMA News Online has reached out to the DOJ for comment but it has yet to reply as of posting time. 

At least 30.4 million Filipinos are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 so far, but Metro Manila is the only region where there is over 80% of COVID-19 vaccine coverage.

The Philippines is eyeing to vaccinate 80% of its 109 million population by May 9, 2022. — with Joahna Lei Casilao/KBK/RSJ, GMA News