Tag: vaccines

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Lacson to IATF: Find ‘Middle Ground’ for Balikbayans, Returning Residents

Sen. Ping Lacson at the Senate Committee of the Whole hearing on June 15, 2021

Small adjustments by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) in implementing health protocols can be a big help to our balikbayans and returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

This is because balikbayans have had to spend thousands of pesos and suffer much inconvenience including several days’ “quarantine” at a hotel, Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson and Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III said.

“Find the middle ground. We cannot be too stiff, too stringent. May occasion dapat na flexible tayo (There are times we should be flexible),” Lacson said at the hearing of the Senate Committee of the Whole on the government’s COVID-19 vaccination program Tuesday.

Related: Apela ni Ping sa IATF: Kaunting Kaluwagan sa mga OFW, Balikbayan
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Ping at SP Sotto: Pondo ’Di Problema; Suplay at Rollout Pagbutihin para sa Herd Immunity

Senate President Tito Sotto and Sen. Ping Lacson at the Senate Committee of the Whole hearing on the national COVID-19 vaccination program

May sapat na pondo ang pamahalaan para makamit ang target na herd immunity laban sa COVID-19 para sa taon na ito, at ang kailangan lamang ay tiyakin na hindi kapusin ang suplay at maipamahagi nang tama ang mga bakuna.

Ito ang natumbok ni Senador Panfilo Lacson batay sa mga datus na inilabas ni Department of Finance (DOF) Secretary Carlos Dominguez III sa Committee of the Whole hearing ng Senado sa programa ng pamahalaan sa pagbabakuna nitong Martes.

Batay sa pag-aaral ni Lacson, may sobra pang P5 bilyon ang pamahalaan kung ang target sa herd immunity ngayong 2021 ang pagbabatayan.

“At P446 per dose including logistical costs, we will need P52.3 billion. We have already secured P57.3 billion through borrowings, so we have a surplus of P5 billion for herd immunity,” banggit ni Lacson sa pagdinig.

“So money is not the problem here. Ang kailangan na lang dito maka-procure ng vaccines at may rollout,” dagdag ni Lacson.

Related: Lacson, Sotto: We Have Enough Funds to Achieve Herd Immunity for 2021
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Lacson, Sotto: We Have Enough Funds to Achieve Herd Immunity for 2021

Senate President Tito Sotto and Sen. Ping Lacson at the Senate Committee of the Whole hearing on the national COVID-19 vaccination program

The government has more than enough funds to achieve herd immunity at least for this year, and should focus more on ensuring the efficient rollout of COVID vaccines, Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson said Tuesday.

Lacson cited figures from Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III indicating government has P5 billion more than needed for herd immunity for 2021.

“At P446 per dose including logistical costs, we will need P52.3 billion. We have already secured P57.3 billion through borrowings, so we have a surplus of P5 billion for herd immunity,” Lacson said during the Senate Committee of the Whole’s hearing on the national COVID-19 vaccination program.

“So money is not the problem here. Ang kailangan na lang dito maka-procure ng vaccines at may rollout (We just need to focus more on procuring the vaccines and rolling them out),” he added.

For his part, Senate President Vicente Sotto III agreed: “The bottom line is the rollout.”

Related: Ping at SP Sotto: Pondo ’Di Problema; Suplay at Rollout Pagbutihin para sa Herd Immunity
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Ping: Vaccine Passport sa Kaluwagan ng mga Umuuwing OFW, Dayuhang Negosyante

Hindi na dapat pang maabala ang paggalaw ng mga umuuwing overseas Filipino workers (OFW) at mga dayuhang mangangalakal na ganap nang bakunado sa mga bansang pinanggalingan kaya dapat na magkaroon ng vaccine passport.

Ito ang rekomendasyon ni Senador Panfilo Lacson matapos ang samu’t saring reklamo ng mga pumapasok sa bansa bunga ng napakahigpit pa ring protocol na ipinapatupad ng mga awtoridad kahit pa sa mga kumpleto na ang bakuna laban sa COVID-19 sa mga bansang pinagmulan.

Ayon kay Lacson, dahil sa mga polisiyang ito ay nagdadalawang-isip na umuwi ang maraming OFW kahit pa napakahalaga ang pakay nila, bunga na rin ng matagal na pagkakatengga bago makarating sa patutunguhan batay sa umiiral na protocols.

“For our returning OFWs, at most, we might require them to take a swab test then allow them to go home, then require them to stay at home for 10 days. No need to require them to stay at a hotel. Most of the time, OFWs return to the country because of an emergency. But if you are an OFW and you are required to be quarantined for 10 days, how many days of your leave will go to waste? I don’t think that makes sense,” banggit ni Lacson sa panayam ng ANC.

Related: Lacson Pushes Vaccine Passport Prioritizing OFWs, Foreign Investors
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Lacson Pushes Vaccine Passport Prioritizing OFWs, Foreign Investors

Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson batted Monday for a vaccine passport system that will make traveling to the Philippines easier for vaccinated people, especially for returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and foreign investors.

Lacson said many returning OFWs and foreign investors are reluctant to come to the Philippines because of tight protocols, especially those that may require them to spend more than a week in a quarantine facility not necessarily of their choice.

“For our returning OFWs, at most, we might require them to take a swab test then allow them to go home, then require them to stay at home for 10 days. No need to require them to stay at a hotel. Most of the time, OFWs return to the country because of an emergency. But if you are an OFW and you are required to be quarantined for 10 days, how many days of your leave will go to waste? I don’t think that makes sense,” he said in an interview on ANC.

“Also, our tourism sector and investment will suffer. If a potential investor who would like to come here learns of the requirements that include a swab test and stay at a quarantine facility not of his or her choice, would he or she still come?” he added.

Related: Ping: Vaccine Passport sa Kaluwagan ng mga Umuuwing OFW, Dayuhang Negosyante
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