While she supports efforts to address vaccine hesitancy, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Assistant Secretary Glenda Relova said many things should be considered before implementing the proposed “no vaccine, no subsidy” policy on the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries.

“Subalit nais po namin na bigyang-diin na marami po ang dapat nating ikonsidera bago ipatupad natin ang (But we would like to emphasize that many should be considered before we implement the) no vaccine, no subsidy,” Relova said in the Laging Handa briefing on Wednesday.

Relova said certain provisions, particularly Section 11, of the 4Ps Act of Republic Act 11310, should be amended before imposing the “no vaccine, no subsidy” policy.

She said Section 11 of the law provides all conditionalities in the distribution of government subsidy to the 4Ps recipients.

Relova said the DSWD has also been doing its own information dissemination that increased the interest of 4Ps beneficiaries to get protection against Covid-19.

“At nakita po natin mayroon talagang substantial increase sa willingness po ng ating mga benepisyaryo ng 4Ps. More than 40 percent po iyong ngayon ay pumapayag na at halos 4.2 percent na lang po iyong mayroong fear po para sa ating pagbabakuna (We saw there is substantial increase in the willingness of our 4Ps beneficiaries. More than 40 percent of them are now favor and only 4.2 percent still have fear to get vaccinated),” she said.

Of the 4.1 million 4Ps beneficiaries, Relova said only around 600,000 have been vaccinated against Covid-19 jab as of Nov. 5.

She said the government has just started to vaccinate those in the A5 category that includes 4Ps beneficiaries.

“We can further see an increase in our data once the nationwide rollout starts,” she said.

“Kagaya po ng nabanggit natin, umaapela po ang DSWD sa ating mga partner agencies na magkaroon muna ng pag-uusap tungkol dito. Subalit nais naming banggitin na ang DSWD ay naniniwala, ang pagbabakuna ay nanatiling boluntaryo at kinakailangan po talaga ang informed consent ng ating mga benepisyaryo. (The DSWD appeals to its partner agencies to have a discussion on this, but we would also like to clarify that the agency believes that vaccination should remain voluntary, and we really need informed consent from the beneficiaries),” she added.

Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año earlier said the “no vaccine, no subsidy” is still a proposal amid high Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy among the 4Ps beneficiaries.

He said most 4Ps beneficiaries are hesitant or non-believers of the vaccine against Covid-19. (PNA)