House panel seeks suspension of implementation of IATF resos on mandatory vaccination for onsite workers

The House labor and employment committee will request the IATF to suspend the implementation of two resolutions regarding the mandatory vaccination in workplaces.

During the panel meeting on Wednesday, committee chairman Representative Eric Pineda said they would write a letter to the IATF for the suspension of IATF Resolutions 148-B and 149.

"We will write a letter immediately to the chairman, to the co-chairs of the IATF that the recommendation of the committee of labor and employment is for them to suspend until further notice," Pineda said.

IATF Resolution 148-B states that "in areas where there are sufficient supplies of COVID-19 vaccines as determined by the National Vaccines Operation Center (NVOC), all establishments and employers in the public and private sector shall require their eligible employees who are tasked to do on-site work to be vaccinated against COVID-19."

"Eligible employees who remain to be unvaccinated may not be terminated solely by reason thereof. However, they shall be required to undergo RT-PCR tests regularly at their own expense for purposes of on-site work. Provided that, antigen tests may be resorted to when RT-PCR capacity is insufficient or not immediately available."

Meanwhile, IATF Resolution 149 indicates that "in furtherance of IATF Resolution No. 148-B (s.2021) providing for the implementation of measures to increase demand for COVID-19 vaccinations but except when all the onsite employees/workers of an establishment are required under the Alert Level System Guidelines to be fully vaccinated, all partially vaccinated employees in the public and private sector tasked to do onsite work need not undergo regular RT-PCR test at their own expense, as long as their second dose is not yet due pursuant to the interval prescribed for the brand of vaccine received as first dose."

Amid strong opposition from various groups and stakeholders on this policy, TUCP party-list Representative Raymond Mendoza, for his part, deemed the two resolutions as confusing.

"Walang klarong presentation, we're left guessing kung ano ba talaga ang interpretasyon ng dalawang resolusyon," Mendoza said. "Kulang sa konsultasyon ito, it's creating a lot of confusion."

(There's no clear presentation. We are left guessing what is the interpretation of the two resolutions. It lacks consultation and it's creating a lot of confusion.)

The House Makabayan bloc earlier filed House Resolution 2373 which strongly urged President Rodrigo Duterte to repeal IATF 148-B and instead prioritize the workers' health and well-being as economic frontliners amid the pandemic.

The group said aside from being illegal, mandatory vaccination is unethical especially if discrimination against the unvaccinated ensues. It added that requiring regular testing for unvaccinated workers at their own expense is also an additional burden for the workers. — Anna Felicia Bajo/RSJ, GMA News