Both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals are qualified to receive the cash aid to be given by the government to those affected by the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), the Palace said Thursday.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque made the clarification Thursday disproving circulating information that vaccination would be required to receive the financial assistance from the government.
“Wala pa tayong kahit anong pagbabawal na ini-impose sa mga taong wala pang bakuna. Ang hiningi lang natin na nandiyan na ang bakuna, magpabakuna ang lahat,” Roque said in a press briefing.
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“Wala rin katotohanan na ire-require natin ang bakuna para sa ayuda. Lahat ng nangangailangan, mabibigyan ng ayuda, hindi kayo hahanapan ng proof of vaccination,” he added.
Roque said the government cannot impose such regulations since the country has yet to reach “population protection” or having at least 50 percent of the population vaccinated against COVID-19.
President Rodrigo Duterte earlier placed Metro Manila under ECQ from August 6 to 20 in an effort to prevent the spread of the more dangerous Delta variant of COVID-19.
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Meanwhile, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said Wednesday that the national government is also studying proposals to put the entire Calabarzon region—composed of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon—under ECQ as well.
The health secretary said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) will discuss the proposal during its meeting on Thursday. (NM)
