Despite the government's effort to boost COVID-19 vaccination in the country, the jab rate in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) remains below 50 percent, a government official said on Monday night.

National Task Force (NTF) COVID-19 Chief Implementer and vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. mentioned this even as he said vaccine hesitancy decrease in the country during the Talk to The People with President Rodrigo Duterte.

"Vaccine hesitancy also went down, from as high as 33 percent last May to only eight percent. As an update on our regional vaccination coverage, we have nine regions placed in green which are with higher coverage of more or less 70 percent or more than 70 percent while an additional five regions with at least 60 percent with second dose, and only BARMM with remain below 50 percent," he said.

Galvez said the government will help boost the vaccination in BARMM and other regions affected by Typhoon ''Odette'' as part of the vaccination program of the government.

"Four regions with lower vaccination were also hit by Typhoon 'Odette', that is why Secretary Vince (Dizon) will also focus on this. We will also go to Cebu and other areas hit by Odette for us to evaluate our vaccination program," he said.

During the same meeting, Duterte said the Muslim community in Mindanao is resisting the vaccination.

"I think the Muslim community here in the Philippines, most believe that it is not allowed by their, I don’t know, is it religion or I might be mistaken but it could be that or something else in their culture," he said,

"Just an information to everybody, in Mindanao, the Muslim community are resisting the bakuna. It's good that I was able to talk with (Sulu) Gov. Sakur (Tan) and well maybe not all, but the report is that some of the Tausugs are not resisting anymore ," said Duterte.

"I think it’s something more of a religious belief. I said I may be wrong on counts but I think Mindanao really does not want it... simply they do not want it, period," he added. Robina Asido/DMS