Metro Manila Council to release ‘enhanced mandate’ for those vaccinated vs COVID-19

The Metro Manila Council is set to discuss the terms of an “enhanced vaccination mandate” which would give individuals fully vaccinated against COVID-19 more mobility and access privileges, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairperson Benhur Abalos said on Sunday.

In a Super Radyo dzBB interview, Abalos said that they are collating policies from other countries that they could adapt in the National Capital Region (NCR) where the COVID-19 reproduction number increased to 4.05 and the positivity rate jumped to 28%.

“Kasi nga tayo ang gateway eh, ‘yung mga ports, ‘yung ating airports. So dapat talaga maproteksyunan [with], of course, kasama na ating immediate na kapitbahay ang Bulacan, Laguna, Rizal, at Cavite,” he said.

(This is because the NCR is the gateway as we have the ports and airports. We need to protect it along with its neighbors in Bulacan, Laguna, Rizal, and Cavite.)

Due to this, Abalos said the Metro Manila Council, composed of the 17 mayors in the National Capital Region, is targeting to instead maximize the vaccination status of people, as not everyone could be forced to get their COVID-19 jabs.

“Ibig sabihin nitong enhanced vaccination mandate, kung bakunado ka, ano ‘yung mga karapatan mo pa na pwede kang umikot? In short, baka pwedeng tignan namin ‘yung mga pinagbabawal na batas, baka pwedeng as a matter of policy, ‘yung mga bakunado mas lalong bigyan natin ng puder, pakita nila ‘yung kanilang vaccine cards,” he said.

(In this enhanced vaccination mandate we will study what the vaccinated people could do more in terms of mobility. In short, maybe we can assess the current policies and give more rights to the vaccinated if they show their vaccination cards.)

On Wednesday, Abalos said that the Metro Manila Council approved a resolution creating a technical working group that will lead the study together with the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF).

Quarantine facilities

Further, Abalos said Metro Manila mayors were displeased with quarantine facilities that fail to prevent people from skipping their quarantine.

“Well, galit. Halos lahat galit po dahil alam niyo maco-compromise niyo ang safety ng komunidad, ng pamilya, lahat. Talagang galit po,” he said.

(They are angry. Almost all of them were as these facilities would compromise the safety of the community, families, everyone.)

The Department of Tourism (DOT) on Thursday confirmed that a returning overseas Filipino from the United States did not undergo hotel quarantine and even attended a party in Makati, with fellow attendees later testing positive for COVID-19.

The Berjaya Makati Hotel, the hotel where this traveler was supposed to be quarantined, apologized for the incident, saying it was a "very serious breach" amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abalos said that they would discuss the repercussions for such violations, adding that they would revoke the business permits of these facilities if necessary.

“Paulit ulit na lang na ganyan eh. Tingin ko, ‘yan ang loophole natin kung minsan. Bakit nagkakaganyan? Parati na lang. Dapat talaga ‘yung ganyan nai-te-trace kung saan ‘yan at mabigyan ng leksyon ‘yung mga establishments na ‘yan,” he added.

(It happens again and again. I think that’s our loophole sometimes. Why is that so? They should be traced where they came from and so we could teach these establishments a lesson.)

The NCR Police Office also said on Sunday that it was prepared to give hotels additional security, if needed, to ensure that COVID-19 requirements were followed. — DVM, GMA News