As surge wears on, Senate urged to look at pending COVID-19 concerns
MANILA, Philippines — The Senate may need to convene the Committee of the Whole once the 19th Congress opens to discuss pending concerns on the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines, Sen. Nancy Binay said Thursday morning.
"When the 19th Congress opens, we can convene the Committee of the Whole just to go back to pending issues and concerns regarding COVID-19, like vaccination programs, access to boosters, status of our healthcare workers, health and pandemic statistics, level of preparedness, [and] exit plans,” Binay said in mixed Filipino and English in a statement sent to reporters.
Binay is seen to chair the tourism committee and the committee on accounts when the 19th Congress convenes this month.
This comes as calls to require Filipinos, especially the general popultion, to get booster shots continue to resound amid another surge in COVID-19 cases, with the country recording an average of 1,467 cases daily from the week of July 4 to 10.
The Department of Health has warned that the ongoing surge could hit its peak of up to 11,000 new infections by the end of July, with increased hospital admissions by August to September.
"Right now, everyone's experiencing pandemic fatigue and vaccine complacency. Because of the recent decrease in cases, people have become less vigilant,” the senator said.
"I support the recommendation for the third shot (booster), but the DOH should be more aggressive in reaching those in priority groups and intensify the vaccination campaign in isolated and remote areas. What is important is that we all agree that the paramount concern is to be fully protected from the virus."
Only 15.3 million Filipinos out of an eligible population of 40 million have so far availed of booster shots, which experts say provide additional protection against the virus.
The senator also asserted the need to continue revisiting and reviewing the country’s public health policies to ensure these are up-to-date and in line with international standards.
"The way I see it, at the end of the day, we need to always revisit the science behind our every decision on matters of public health like having a common index and definition of what 'fully vaccinated' is or should be na compliant and aligned sa World Health Organization or similar internationally-recognized and respected organizations,” said Binay.
What's a 'Committee of the Whole'?
Under Senate rules, the upper chamber may constitute itself into a Committee of the Whole, to function as a regular committee acting upon a bill or resolution.
Earlier in March, the committee held hearings on the large-scale smuggling of agricultural products affecting farmers and fisherfolk while dampening the country's economic recovery amid the pandemic.
In the 18th Congress, Majority Floor Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri also called on the Committee of the Whole to investigate the sluggish rollout of the vaccination program around the Philippines.
"There have been reports that these Multi-Party Agreements submitted by local government units and the private sector have been left unsigned and are languishing in the National Task Force, directly affecting the speedy vaccine roll-out in the country," Zubiri wrote in Senate Resolution No. 858.
- Latest
- Trending
