Requiring COVID-19 vaccination for 4Ps beneficiaries needs law change

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque Jr.  PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Mandating COVID-19 vaccination for beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) or conditional cash transfer for the poor would need an amendment to the existing law, Malacañang said Monday.

“Tingin ko ay pupuwede naman i-require ‘yan [COVID-19 vaccination] sa 4Ps pero baka kinakailangan po amyendahan iyong batas,” Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a Palace briefing.

(I think requiring 4Ps beneficiaries to get vaccinated against COVID-19 would need an amendment to the law.)

“Hindi lang ito isang executive program, ito po’y naisabatas,” he added.

(This is not only an executive program but is institutionalized as a law.)

He was referring to Republic Act 11310 or the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) Act which grants every poorest of the poor household a monthly cash grant worth P3,000 to P5,000 provided the family complies with conditions promoting human development such as keeping students in school, engaging in healthy practices and family development, improving the health nutritional status of pregnant and postpartum mothers, infants and young children.

While the law is not yet amended, the Department of Social Welfare and Development could study how to ramp up vaccination among 4Ps beneficiaries since it is the agency in charge of implementing the anti-poverty program, Roque said.

Interior Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya first proposed the “no vax, no subsidy” policy in a bid to “disincentivize” the unvaccinated among the government aid recipients.

This was hit by several lawmakers, saying the government should focus on effective vaccine information drives to address vaccine hesitancy.

READ: House solons hit DILG’s ‘no vaccination, no 4Ps subsidy’ proposal