Binay, Villar debate on gov’t policy prohibiting senior citizens to go out

Senators Nancy Binay and Cynthia Villar on Tuesday engaged in a debate on government’s policy prohibiting the senior citizens from going out of their residences.

During the continuation of Senate hearing on status of industries hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, Villar questioned why the government is still prohibiting the elderly to go out despite being prioritized in the vaccination program.

“Vaccinated na sila [They are already vaccinated], why did you vaccinate them if you will not allow them to get out?” the 70-year-old Villar asked.

Binay said allowing the senior citizens to go out is only possible once the workers under the A4 priority list are vaccinated.

“Siguro 'pag nandiyan na 'yung A4, because ‘yung seniors natin, pwede silang mag-spread ng virus, kasi ‘di ba, kahit vaccinated ka na, you can still get the virus, asymptomatic, but you’re spreading,” she explained.

(Maybe if the A4 group is already vaccinated then we can allow the senior citizens to go out because they might spread the virus. Even if you are vaccinated, you can still get the virus, asymptomatic, but you’re spreading.)

Villar insisted that it is “ironical” that the senior citizens were prioritized in getting vaccines, but the government won’t still allow them to go out.

“What’s the use? Parang ang labo no’n (I cannot understand that policy),” she quipped.

In response, Binay explained that senior citizens were prioritized to prevent deaths due to COVID-19 and the collapse of the health care system as the senior population is prone to contracting the respiratory disease.

“Kasi 'yung mga senior citizens natin, sila ‘yung pwedeng mag-cause ng collapse ng health system natin kasi sila ‘yung prone (sa COVID-19),” she said.

(Senior citizens can cause the collapse of our health care system because they are the ones who are prone to COVID-19.)

Still, Villar argued that vaccines promise protection from death and severe COVID-19 cases.

“Ako kung magka-flu ako na mild flu, okay na ‘yun, basta 'wag lang akong mamatay o 'wag lang akong magkakaroon ng serious na mao-ospital ako, that’s the assurance of vaccine,” she said,

(I, myself, can catch a flu. That is okay as long as I don’t die or I won’t contract a serious case of COVID-19 which can cause hospitalization. That is the assurance of the vaccine.)

“’Di ko nga maintindihan ‘yung 65 (years old), anybody beyond 65, ‘di pwedeng lumabas kahit na vaccinated. Maliit na ang risk mo doon e. Flu lang, not death nor…serious COVID illness,” Villar added.

(I can’t understand that anybody who is beyond 65 years old are not allowed to go out. You have a low risk of getting COVID-19. You can only get flu not death, nor serious COVID illness.)

Binay reiterated that senior citizens can be spreaders, but Villar argued that everyone is a spreader.

“Lahat tayo spreader, in other words, bakit naman mo pinagbawalan ang senior citizens… Everybody is like that, kawawa naman 'yung mga senior citizen, baka naman maloko na ‘yon sa bahay,” Villar said.

(We are all spreaders, in other words, why would you prohibit senior citizens to go out? Everybody is like that. I pity the senior citizens, they might go crazy if we lock them up inside their houses.)

Binay said the health of the workers, including restaurant servers who are not yet vaccinated, will be compromised if the vaccinated senior citizens will be allowed to go out as they were the only ones who were immunized against COVID-19.

“When we go to a restaurant na ang mga waiter natin ay hindi nababakunahan, parang baka naman ‘yung mga waiters natin sa restaurant, sila naman 'yung magkaka-COVID,” Binay said.

(When we go to a restaurant, the waiters who are not yet vaccinated might get infected.)

After their discussion, Mr. Eric Teng, president of Restaurant Owners of the Philippines, cited the opening of restaurants in the United States and in Israel where the senior citizens were allowed to eat out.

Villar backed Teng’s position, saying the Philippines can do the same even with the slow vaccination of its constituents.

“Lowest infection in the US is 30,000 per day. Malaki 'yun, kasi ang US 300 million (ang population), 30,000 per day. Tayo nga na walang herd immunity, ang ano (record) natin, 6,000 out of 100 million. ‘Yung 30,000 parang 10,000 per 100 million ‘yun. Mas mababa pa tayo sa US,” Villar argued.

(The lowest number of infections in the US is at 30,000 per day. That is big because they have a 300 million population. Here in the Philippines, we have not achieved yet our herd immunity but our record is only at 6,000 out of 100 million. The 30,000 cases in the US is like 10,000 per 100 million. Compared to our number, we have low cases than the US.)

“Bakit sila open sa lahat? Tayo e ang higpit higpit, 'di ba (Why are they opening all the business? Why do we have strict protocols here)?” she added.

However, Binay pointed out that the US and Israel are close to achieving herd immunity.

Moreover, Teng proposed to have a special area for vaccinated seniors to avail of the restaurant services or products.

He also raised the need to balance the rights of the workers who don’t want to get COVID-19 vaccines.

“We are not forcing everyone in the A4 to get vaccinated. Therefore, we must never use that as a pre-qualifier for allowing people into our restaurants to come to work. We’re just trying to balance things out,” he said.

Apart from the workers, he said that they are also being very careful in policies that would discriminate individuals who don’t want to get COVID-19 vaccine.

The Philippine government is now inoculating the medical frontliners, senior citizens, and persons with comorbidities.

Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez, Jr. said the government will start inoculating persons belonging to the A4 and A5 priority groups once the COVID-19 vaccine supply in the country becomes steady.

Workers in food retail, including food service delivery are included in the A4 priority group.—AOL, GMA News