Mindanao not neglected in COVID-19 vaccine distribution, says Palace

THE WAIT Senior citizens in Cagayan de Oro City wait for their turn to be vaccinated in an inoculation center inside the SM Downtown Premier mall. —PHOTO FROM THE CDO CITY INFORMATION OFFICE

MANILA, Philippines — It is not true that Mindanao was neglected in the government’s pandemic response, particularly in the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, Malacañang said Tuesday.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque made the remark in response to the statement of Cagayan De Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez on the slow and low distribution of COVID-19 vaccines in Mindanao, which has seen a surge in cases over the past weeks.

Roque said the rise in COVID-19 cases is not related to the vaccine distribution but is likely caused by the lowered compliance of residents to minimum public health standards.

He added that COVID-19 cases also surged in the Visayas and in Mindanao as strict quarantine measures such as enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) and modified ECQ (MECQ) were not enforced.

“Hindi po totoo ‘yan (That is not true),” he said in a briefing in Camp Crame in Quezon City when asked for his response on Rodriguez’s claims.

“Ang datos ang nagpapakita na kaya nagsurge sa ilang parte ng Pilipinas, sa Visayas at Mindanao ay kasi hindi nag-ECQ, hindi nag MECQ at talagang bumaba ang compliance with minimum health protocols,” he added.

(The data shows that some places in the country, particularly in Visayas and Mindanao did not impose ECQ or MECQ and the compliance with minimum health protocols was relaxed.)

He maintained that the surge in cases is not because of scarce vaccine supply but because there is non-compliance with minimum health requirements.

While he admitted that the national government is focusing vaccine supply on Metro Manila, which is considered as the epicenter of COVID-19 infections, Roque said only about 38% of the total vaccine supply is allocated to the capital region.

The rest of the vaccines are delivered “pursuant to equitable distribution.”

He said the government will also give an additional supply of vaccines to localities experiencing surges of COVID-19 cases.

“Ang pagkalat ng sakit ay hindi sa kawalan ng bakuna yan ay dahil bumaba ang comp with minimum health requirements,” the Palace official said.

/MUF