MANILA, Philippines — As the number of people unwilling to get vaccinated against COVID-19 further decreases, former Philippine National Police chief Guillermo Eleazar yesterday called on the government to take advantage of the situation for a final vaccination push across the country by bringing the vaccines down to the barangay level.
Eleazar, who is running for senator in the May 9 elections, said the barangay-level vaccination drive should come with aggressive information campaign that would cover even parents having their children inoculated.
He issued the call as he noted the pronouncement of the Department of Health (DOH) that vaccine hesitancy in the country further dropped to 10 percent from 30 percent in the previous months.
“While new COVID cases are going down, our goal is to have zero case. This will only be possible if all are protected and vaccinated,” he said in Filipino.
He said city and municipal heath units, in coordination with the DOH, could be tapped to supervise the barangay-level vaccination.
Eleazar said vaccine supplies in every region should also be distributed equally to ensure that geographically isolated provinces in the Visayas and Mindanao are getting the jabs.
OFWs in HK
Meanwhile, former vice president and senatorial aspirant Jejomar Binay urged authorities yesterday to give immediate assistance to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) affected by the surge in COVID-19 cases in other countries.
Binay, who served as presidential adviser for OFW Concerns during his term as vice president, issued the appeal following reports of foreign domestic workers being abandoned or neglected by their employers in Hong Kong.
He cited a statement from a recruiters’ group that around 4,000 OFWs bound for Hong Kong are stranded as a result of travel restrictions.
“This is a disturbing development that needs to be addressed immediately. Aside from Hong Kong, there are also surges in other countries in Europe. Authorities should know the situation of our countrymen there and immediately give them assistance,” Binay said.
Sen. Joel Villanueva also expressed alarm over reports of employers in Hong Kong terminating the contracts OFWs who contracted COVID-19.
Villanueva called on the Department of Foreign Affairs, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to immediately verify the reports and respond to these.
“Terminating the contract of a sick OFW is cruel punishment. This is against human rights and common decency in any part of the world,” the senator, chairman of the Senate labor and employment committee, said.
“Lives are at stake here. If an OFW loses a job, we need to focus on their repatriation, as well as their treatment if they have COVID-19. Employers who abuse and abandon OFWs should take responsibility and be accountable, especially during this pandemic,” Villanueva said.
On the other hand, labor leader and senatorial aspirant Sonny Matula sought immediate assistance for COVID-positive Filipino domestic helpers in Hong Kong.
Instead of denying the sufferings of the Filipino workers, Matula said the DOLE should rescue and provide the necessary assistance.
“Our migrant workers are yet again being discriminated against and suffering from inhumane treatment amid the latest COVID-19 surge in Hong Kong,” Matula said in a statement.