National Task Force COVID-19 Chief Implementer and Vaccine Czar Carlito Galvez Jr. emphasized the necessity of mandatory vaccination against COVID-19 after encountering vaccine hesitancy in several areas.

"My personal opinion and the DILG ( Department of Interior and Local Government) also believes that it is about time to mandate vaccination... we will not be able to pass this pandemic until everyone of us are vaccinated," Galvez said at the ''Laging Handa'' virtual public briefing on Monday.

"The mandated vaccination is necessary. It's like mandating the no smoking in public areas and we see that what we experience now is much more difficult because it has a huge effect on our health and economy," he said.

Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga filed the Mandatory COVID-19 Immunization Act of 2021 in August.

"If we have (vaccine) hesitancy of more or less 34 percent it is a sizable amount. The 34 million people who are roaming around like a time bomb that would sow terror among our people," he added.

The Department of Health said in its website that only 29, 477, 961 have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 while 34, 717, 975 have received the first dose.

This was stressed by Galvez after a no vaccine, no subsidy for 4Ps beneficiaries that was proposed by the DILG was criticized by lawmakers and human rights groups.

Galvez explained that the government does not intend to forfeit the subsidy for the 4Ps beneficiaries.

"For the 4Ps, we can just delay it. We will not forfeit that. Once they are already vaccinated we will give it to them. We see that we are not yet safe until everyone is safe (from COVID-19)," he said. Robina Asido/DMS