Fearing another coronavirus surge, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on Monday ordered the officials of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to exert more effort to encourage their constituents to get vaccinated against COVID-19 particularly because of the region’s low inoculation coverage.
“Mga kapatid ko na Muslim pati ‘yung the guys running the BARMM, I’d like also to appeal to Chairman, si Murad, na kindly give a little push for the people there to get vaccinated,” President Duterte said during his weekly Talk to the People.
“You know, it’s science. It has been studied, experiments were conducted hindi lang dito sa atin pati sa labas. As a matter of fact, it was a concerted effort during the pandemic. It’s slowing down but it’s still there.”
“So let me just appeal to everybody: get vaccinated or else we will not be able to solve the problem because ‘yung nabakunahan na, there is always the distinct possibility of ma-contaminate sila ulit.”
The problem with COVID-19, he said, is that the virus continuously mutate into more virulent variants, which may impact on the efficacy of vaccines.
He encouraged the people to continue adhering to government-mandated protocols particularly the use of face coverings.
“There is no way that masks will not be required. It will be a part of the protocol for a long time until the last day of my office. Iyan ang order ko at ‘yan ang sundin ninyo,” he said.
The country is not out of the woods yet, he pointed out, adding he is sending vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. to BARMM to talk to its officials on how to widen the region’s vaccination coverage.
“Kaya nga pupunta bukas sa — si Secretary Galvez will go to Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat at tingnan ‘yung lalo na sa BARMM, and to talk personally to the officials sa BARMM na this is science, it has nothing to do with na paniwala mo. This has been proven to be true and correct,” he said.
“He will talk to the BARMM at kung nakikinig kayong mga taga-BARMM officials, you are part of government, ‘yun ang ginusto ninyo, nag-postpone tayo ng election. So you are bound by what the government say.”
The government’s inoculation thrust is aimed at protecting the entire nation, he stressed, noting it’s not a valid reason for the Muslims to be hampered by honor or culture in getting vaccinated.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire who joined the President during the meeting, said all of the activities happening in the country like campaign sorties, and the observance of the Lenten season may result in increased COVID-19 infection in areas with low inoculation rate if the health protocols are ignored.
She cited areas with an uptick in infections in the previous weeks like Hong Kong, South Korea, and Europe, where Omicron variant sublineage BA.2 spread further especially to unvaccinated population.
The country has recorded 1,903 new cases of COVID-19 from April 5 to 11, putting its seven-day moving average at 271 cases per day.
This is lower than the March 29 to April 4 record of 2,565 cases, or 366 daily average cases. PND
