ILOILO – The 1,721 barangays here have been ordered to conduct an inventory of people vaccinated and unvaccinated against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and submit a report to the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).
“The purpose is to maintain a database,” said DILG-Iloilo director Teodora Sumagaysay.
She, however, clarified that the unvaccinated won’t be coerced into getting vaccine shots.
In a memorandum, DILG-Iloilo ordered barangays to submit an inventory report every 10th day of the month to their Municipal Local Government Operation Officers (MLGOOs).
MLGOOs, in turn, are required to make a consolidated report for submission to DILG-Iloilo.
According to Sumagaysay, DILG-Iloilo encourages the public to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
Vaccination prevents severe COVID, she stressed.
Data from the Provincial Health Office as of Jan. 16 showed 923,670 residents were already deemed fully vaccinated against COPVID-19. This is equivalent to 63 percent of the target population (1,448,757).
Here’s breakdown of the fully vaccinated individuals:
* healthcare workers – 79,912
* senior citizens – 129,977
* persons with comorbidity – 131,785
* frontline personnel – 217,689
* indigent – 120,215
* rest of the adult population – 98,228
According to DILG secretary Eduardo Año, the inventory would ensure that the government has the correct data on unvaccinated persons.
He admitted that this is in line with the pronouncement of President Rodrigo Duterte to restrain or restrict the movement of unvaccinated individuals.
“It all starts with an inventory and then when we have the datay, the LGU (local government units) will implement through an ordinance the restrictions on the movement of unvaccinated persons,” Interior undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said.
Malaya also said barangay officials have to prepare the inventory “on a monthly basis” and submit this to the DILG field office in their area.
“The second step is to closely monitor the mobility of the persons who are not yet vaccinated and to advise them to stay at home,” he said.
Malaya slammed insinuations that the inventory is a “witch-hunt” even as it assured the Commission on Human Rights that the program will never violate the individual’s right to privacy.
“We are facing an unprecedented global health emergency and we need to protect the unvaccinated. Again, the purpose of the inventory is to protect the unvaccinated from getting sick and dying as well as to protect our healthcare system from being overwhelmed. How is that a witch hunt?” said Malaya.
“Moreover, it is neither unconstitutional nor violative of a person’s right to privacy because the data of unvaccinated persons is being collected for a legitimate purpose and that is to address the latest wave of COVID-19 infection under Alert Level 3,” he added./PN
