Ang sabi-sabi: Ang mabuting relasyon ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte sa China at Russia ang dahilan kung bakit naging matagumpay ang pagbabakuna ng Pilipinas laban sa COVID-19. Nalagpasan na ng bansa ang kakayahan sa pagbabakuna ng Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, at kahit na ang Singapore. 

Marka: HINDI TOTOO. Sumasang-ayon ang Rappler sa markang “Hindi Totoo” na nauna nang ibinigay ng AlterMidya sa kanilang fact check sa sabi-sabing ito.

Ang katotohanan: Sa lahat ng bansa sa ASEAN, pinakamababa ang ranggo ng Pilipinas sa pagbabakuna laban sa COVID-19 noong 2021. 

Bakit kailangang i-fact-check: Ang pagmamanipula ng datos at katotohanan ukol sa programa ng COVID-19 sa Pilipinas ay balakid sa pagsasaayos ng malaking kakulangan sa pagbabakuna sa bansa. 

Basahin ang detalyadong fact check dito.

Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion said that the private sector wil “put pressure” on increasing vaccination rates given that 27 million doses are due to expire in mid-2022.

“Alam naman natin no na itong 27 million doses mageexpire sa June o July at kinausap ko si Secretary Duque, ‘yung private sector we will try to really put more pressure,” Concepcion said Wednesday, April 6, at the Laging Handa briefing. (We know that the 27 million doses are set to expire in June or July so I talked to Secretary Duque, the private sector will try to really put more pressure.)

He did not elaborate, but he said he agreed with the idea of putting a “deadline” on getting booster shots. He said that restrictions, such as dining in restaurants, could be put in place for those who have yet to get booster doses.

“I think the deadline should be by June, at least after the elections, because we might have another surge [in cases],” he said.

Concepcion noted that the Philippines cannot afford to lose momentum, given that external threats to the economy are still present. He cited the inflationary impact brought by the Russia-Ukraine war and the need to pay the country’s foreign debt.

President Rodrigo Duterte rejected the idea of further de-escalating any area in the country to “Alert Level 0.”

In his weekly taped public address, Duterte said he wanted the overall cases to be down to almost none before agreeing to remove all restrictions.

Read more here.

The Department of Health (DOH) said on Saturday, April 2, that it has received reports of “a few” people who got the COVID-19 vaccine multiple times so they can sell their vaccination cards.

Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje said in a Laging Handa briefing that those found selling their vaccination cards face sanctions.

“May mga mangilan-ngilan na ang gusto nila, kagaya ng mga 10 beses nagpabakuna, ay magkaroon ng vaccination card tapos pinagtitinda nila para may vaccination card ang hindi nagpabakuna. Iyon may sanction!” she said.

(There are a few who want – like those who had been themselves vaccinated 10 times – to get vaccination cards and then sell them to those who don’t want to get vaccination. That has sanctions!)

The Department of Health said there are 67 million fully vaccinated people in the Philippines as of April 1.

Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje said at the Laging Handa briefing on Saturday, April 2, that to reach the government’s vaccination target, they are doing bring the vaccines to government offices as well as private companies.

“Ang nakita natin na kinakailangan ay magkaroon tayo ng social mobilizers. Ibig sabihin, bago pumunta iyong mga mag-house-to-house ay kailangan may mag-i-inform sa community kung ano iyong mga side effects, ano iyong mga bisa, etcetera para makumbinsi silang magpabakuna,” she added, referring to areas with low vaccination rates.

(We need social mobilizers. This means before going house-to-house, the community must be informed of the side effects, the effectiveness, etc, to convince people to get vaccinated.)

Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion said 27 million COVID-19 vaccine doses are set to expire in July, as we urged more Filipinos to get jabbed against the disease.

“Let’s not allow 27 million doses of the COVID vaccine to go to waste. Time is of the essence. This is why I am calling it out now while there is still time before these vaccines expire. If we don’t use these vaccines, we will have wasted the FIlipino taxpayers’ money,” Concepcion said. “Both government and the private sector bought these vaccines for our citizens.”

So far, the Philippines has received more than 237 million vaccine doses, with some 140.7 million already administered. As of March 22, 65,343,446 Filipinos have been fully vaccinated, but only 11,629,565 additional or booster shots have been administered. This means only some 13% of the eligible population have received their booster shots, Concepcion’s office said.

“We need to push a little, and we need to do the groundwork now. People have become complacent and no longer feel that they need to booster. What they do not see is that the real danger is in the second half of the year,” Concepcion said.