Tag: vaccines

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Magtiwala sa Bakuna: Lacson Pushes Info Drive to Improve Trust in COVID Vaccines

Image Courtesy: CNN Philippines

While waiting for COVID-19 vaccines to actually arrive, the Department of Health needs to mount an information drive to improve the public’s trust in vaccines, Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson said Sunday.

Lacson warned of the possibility that the vaccines that arrive may go to waste mainly because many Filipinos have low trust in them.

“What our officials including Health Sec. Francisco Duque III should do is to improve the public’s trust in vaccines, instead of just announcing when the vaccines will arrive. Besides, if very few Filipinos are willing to be vaccinated, the vaccines that actually arrive may go to waste,” he said in an interview on DZRH radio.

Related: Ping: Pagbabakuna, Seryosong Ikampanya para Tiwala ng Publiko Tumaas
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Ping: Mga Lider ng Bansa, Dapat Magkaisa sa Laban sa WPS

Image Courtesy: AP

Sa halip na magtalo-talo, dapat nang magkaisa ang mga lider ng bansa sa usapin ng pakikipaglaban ng Pilipinas sa China sa karapatan sa West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Ayon kay Senador Panfilo Lacson, Chairman ng Senate Committee on National Defense, hindi malayong samantalahin ng China ang sitwasyon kapag hindi pa nagkaisa ang mga lider ng Pilipinas dahil nakikita nilang mahina ang isang bansang may nagaganap na bangayan.

“Ang irony nito at nakakalungkot, sa halip na magtulong-tulong tayong mga Pilipino, especially mga leaders, tayo pa nag-aaway-away sa usaping West Philippine Sea. Dapat iisa ang position natin. Yan ang nagpapakita ng weakness natin sa China,” banggit ni Lacson sa panayam ng DZXL.

Ayon pa sa mambabatas, hindi rin dapat idinidikit sa usapin ng agawan sa WPS ang mga bakuna laban sa COVID-19 na donasyon ng China sa bansa dahil papalalain nito ang hidwaan sa pagitan ng mga lider.

“Dapat magsimula tayo na nagkakaisa tayo na dapat ipaglaban natin ang ating sovereignty and territorial integrity. Dapat walang kinalaman ang bakuna sa usaping territorial integrity and national sovereignty,” banggit ni Lacson.

Related: Lacson: PH needs United Stand on WPS Issue
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Lacson: PH needs United Stand on WPS Issue

Image Courtesy: AP

The Philippines’ top leaders must come up with a united stand on the West Philippine Sea issue instead of bickering, lest it exposes a weakness that China can exploit, Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson said over the weekend.

Lacson also stressed China’s donation of COVID-19 vaccines should not be connected to the issue of our sovereignty and territorial integrity in the West Philippine Sea, as doing so may cause division.

“Ang irony nito at nakakalungkot, sa halip na magtulong-tulong tayong mga Pilipino, especially mga leaders, tayo pa nag-aaway-away sa usaping West Philippine Sea. Dapat iisa ang position natin. Yan ang nagpapakita ng weakness natin sa China (The sad irony is that instead of coming up with a united front, we – especially our leaders – are bickering on the issue. What we need is a united position. Otherwise, we are just showing our weakness, one that China could exploit),” Lacson, who chairs the Senate committee on national defense, said in an interview on DZXL radio.

“Dapat magsimula tayo na nagkakaisa tayo na dapat ipaglaban natin ang ating sovereignty and territorial integrity. Dapat walang kinalaman ang bakuna sa usaping territorial integrity and national sovereignty (Our stand must start with upholding our sovereignty and territorial integrity. Vaccines have nothing to do with this issue),” he added.

Related: Ping: Mga Lider ng Bansa, Dapat Magkaisa sa Laban sa WPS
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On Sen. Drilon’s Suggestion for a Special Session to Pass Bayanihan 3

While the intention may be good, let us first take a serious look at the situation. Since the Department of Budget and Management already said that the government coffers have dried up, hence funds are no longer available, the bigger question remains: Can we still afford more borrowings intended for dole-outs instead of for other productive purposes to boost our economy? The last thing we need is ending up in a ‘Sisyphean’ situation.

Our best option is to have a sense of urgency and allow the private sector more participation with better flexibility in the vaccination program – true to the government’s ‘whole-of-nation approach’ theme, which is turning out to be mere platitude and lip service.

Then, if we really need to pass Bayanihan 3, the national and local governments must first get their act together to update the data on the intended recipients of the social amelioration program since what the Department of Social Welfare and Development is using is a five-year-old list that is already out of date – hence real-time needs and priorities are not being properly addressed, not to mention the corruption involved in the distribution of such dole-outs because of such a defective list.

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On the President’s Allowing the Private Sector to Import COVID-19 Vaccines ‘At Will’

I would say, it is the President’s best birthday gift to himself.

The next challenge, however, is compliance to his instructions by the concerned health authorities – including how long it will take to approve the applications to import their vaccines under the existing tripartite agreement. Then there’s the availability of vaccines in the world market, not to mention the time lag between booking and actual deliveries of the vaccines.

Had the order been issued at the time when the private sector was clamoring to be allowed to procure their own vaccines, subject to the usual existing regulations and protocols issued by the World Health Organization, by now the country would likely have been vaccinating en masse and nearing herd immunity, thanks in large part to the private sector.

As I had repeatedly suggested in the past, in a time of crisis, government should look at the private sector as partners rather than competitors. Unfortunately, some of those in charge of handling the pandemic do not think the same way as most of us do.

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