Año: IATF wants mandatory vaccination but LGUs have power to impose

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año on Monday said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases seeks to implement mandatory vaccination against COVID-19.

Interviewed on Dobol B TV, Año pointed out that there is no law to support this mandate but said that local government units (LGUs) have the authority to impose such a measure.

“Gusto sana natin talagang gawing mandatory ito pero nga wala tayong batas except ‘yung mga local government units, may kapangyarihan sila diyan,” he said.

(We really want to make the vaccination mandatory but we do not have a law about this, except for the local government units, they have the power to do that.)

Metro Manila is set to study the possibility of having a COVID-19 vaccine mandate in the region.

The Metro Manila Council, composed of the 17 mayors in the National Capital Region, recently approved a resolution creating a technical working group that will lead the study.

Free or cheaper tests

Meanwhile, Año added that the IATF is also discussing having free or cheaper COVID-19 tests. According to him, the government is looking into providing antigen test kits.

“Pinag-uusapan 'yan sa IATF pati rin 'yung viability na magbigay din ng mga antigen test kit (That is being discussed in the IATF as well as the viability of providing antigen test kit)," he said.

The DILG secretary noted that there is no agreement yet among the task force members about free or cheaper testing.

Philippine businesses are calling on the government to provide free COVID-19 testing for employees, given the increase in the country’s cases caused by the Omicron variant.

According to Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Emeritus George Barcelon, the government should provide additional tests for the private sector.

Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Jose Ma. “Joey” Concepcion III also said the private sector will start implementing RT-PCR testing for unvaccinated onsite workers every two weeks this year. —KG, GMA News