By Francis Allan L. Angelo
Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas said he broached the workplace vaccination policy “for discussion purposes only.”
In an interview with Aksyon Radyo-Iloilo, Treñas said the proposed “no vaccination, no work policy” is still under study by the City Legal Office.
He also said that the matter needs to be discussed by all sectors while waiting for the AstraZeneca vaccines the city government ordered. The vaccines are expected to be expected to be delivered in July 2021.
“We are just putting it on the table for discussion so that indi lang kita kundi ang iban nga siyudad maistoryahan man ini. I want to clarify nga we are talking about this for discussion purposes. Waay kita nagabutang sini para piliton ta na ang tawo nga magdesisyon [nga magpabakuna]. This is not to compel anyone to be vaccinated just because they do not agree. Wala kita naghambal sini nga ginapilit ta nga ‘kay ti indi kamo kaobra pabakuna na lang kamo,” the mayor said
Treñas said that eventually, it is the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases that will decide on the policy.
IATF sets the policies in response to Covid-19.
He also denied that the proposal stemmed from the high hesitancy of Ilonggos towards vaccination which was based on the vaccination consent forms distributed in the barangays early this month.
Based on the 9,731 returned/filled up consent forms so far, 29% are willing to be vaccinated while 71% are hesitant. Iloilo City’s population is more than 400,000.
Treñas also cited American infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci who said that the Covid-19 pandemic will only end if 70-80% of the world population is vaccinated.
The mayor said he wants the policy to be discussed as he has no idea what will happen to the pandemic if only half of the population is inoculated.
He cited a possible situation in workplaces where those who were vaccinated will be separated from those who did not.
“Kun wala ka nabakunahan, maybe you have a separate work area and space.”
