The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) recently issued a memorandum encouraging workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
“All employees in the private sector, except those who are ineligible or disqualified for health reasons, are highly encouraged to get inoculated with COVID-19 vaccine,” said DOLE Secretary Silvestre Bello III.
“Employers shall continue to urge their employees to avail of their own vaccination program, if any, or their respective local government units,” the DOLE chief added.
It is said that 80 percent to 90 percent of the workers need to be vaccinated to get herd immunity.
“‘Yong supervisors at managers ang very instrumental sa pag-convince sa mga empleyado na talagang kailangan kasi kung kalahati… sa isang shift ang kukuha ng vaccine, ‘yong iba, e di the others are also at risk,” said Presidential Adviser on Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion.
For the Employers Confederation Of The Philippines (ECOP), President Rodrigo Duterte’s vaccination on Monday night will convince skeptical workers.
“Noong una, mababa talaga pero ngayon pataas nang pataas na, ang questions nga sa amin sa mga kompanya, ‘Sir, bakit po kami di kasali sa priority?'” said ECOP President Sergio Ortiz Luis.
So for the ECOP, vaccination will no longer be necessary to force or make it mandatory.
DOLE urges workers to get vaccinated vs COVID-19
But for Concepcion, if herd immunity is not reached, the government still has the option to make vaccination mandatory to keep the economy afloat.
“We will support it kasi if we don’t reach herd immunity, masisira ‘yung bansa natin. Hindi lang tataas ‘yung infection ang mangyayari dito, mawawala ang maraming negosyo magsasarado,” he said.
“Kung mangyayari ‘yan, lahat ng mga empleyado namin baka mawalan ng trabaho. Kung mangyari ‘yan babagsak ang economy,” he added.
(We will support it because if we don’t reach herd immunity, our country will be destroyed. Not only will the infections rise but many businesses will shut down. If that happens all our employees may lose their jobs. If that happens the economy will collapse.)
According to vaccine Czar Carlito Galvez Jr., the Philippines would need 15 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to achieve herd immunity before the end of 2021.
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