DSWD: COVID-19 vaccination of 4Ps beneficiaries should be informed, voluntary

Vaccination needs to be voluntary among the poor who benefit from the government's Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), the Department of Social Welfare and Development has said.

DSWD spokesperson Glenda Relova on Wednesday made the remark amid the Department of the Interior and Local Government's (DILG) proposal to require COVID-19 vaccination among 4Ps beneficiaries before they can get their cash.

The law providing for the 4Ps program does not include vaccination among the conditions before cash doles are distributed to beneficiaries.

"Ang DSWD ay naniniwala ang pagbabakuna ay nanatiling boluntaryo at kinakailangan po talaga ang informed consent ng ating mga benepisyaryo ," Relova said during Laging Handa briefing.

[The DSWD believes that COVID-19 vaccination should remain voluntary and that 4Ps should give their informed consent for it.]

Instead of requiring vaccination for the release of the cash aid for the poor, Relova said that there was a need for intensified information dissemination among 4Ps beneficiaries, especially those who reside in far flung areas.

"We need strengthened information dissemination. Aside from social media, we should tap community radios and other community groups to convince the poor to get vaccinated against COVID-19," Relova said.

"DSWD and the Health department are also doing their part on this information drive," she added.

Relova said that 3.5 million out of the 4.1 million 4Ps beneficiaries are yet to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as of November 5.

"We also have to take into consideration that beneficiaries of 4Ps under the A5 sector (general population). And we are just starting the rollout for the A5 sector. Once the rollout on A5 reaches nationwide, the numbers will pick up," Relova said.

There are 29.8 million Filipinos fully vaccinated against COVID-19 so far, still a far cry from the target of vaccinating 80% of the 109 million Filipinos by May 9, 2022. -NB, GMA News