DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 8 Sep) – Mayor Sara Duterte has threatened that the 7,995 unvaccinated workers of the City Government of Davao have until the end of the year to get themselves vaccinated against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) or will be terminated from work.
Vaccination in Davao City. MindaNews file photo
During her program over Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR 87.5) last Monday, Duterte said the local government is planning to make the vaccination mandatory, which would require city government workers to be fully vaccinated by end of this year as a condition to allow them to continue their employment with the city.
Failure to comply, Duterte warned, will result in the non-renewal of the contracts for non-plantilla workers effective January 1 and filing of insubordination cases for regular workers.
Lemuel Ortonio, head of the city’s Human Resource Management Office (HRMO), told MindaNews on Tuesday that the unvaccinated government employees comprise 61 percent of the 20,522 total workforce of the city hall, consisting of plantilla, job order, and contract of service workers.
The vaccination rollout for A4 or essential workers in Davao City started last May 1.
“Actually, we’ve given longer time for city government employees because we are A4 category. We’re given ample time to get vaccinated and September to December will be the last call for city government employees, job orders, contracts of services, including consultants, and volunteers. Have yourselves scheduled by HRMO,” the mayor said.
She pointed out that four months is reasonable enough time to comply since vaccines are already available.
The Department of Health central office posted an advisory on Aug.
5 that the “no vaccine, no work policy is not allowed,” citing Advisory No. 03 Series of 2021 of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and Republic Act 11525 (COVID-19 Vaccination Program Act).
The DOLE advisory, however, applies only “to all establishments and employers in the private sector.”
Mayor Sara Duterte. Photo from the DCDR 87.5 Facebook page
Section of 12 of RA 11525, on the other hand, pointed out that vaccination “shall not be considered as an additional mandatory requirement for educational, employment and other similar government transaction purposes.”
As of September 1, the city government recorded 264,599 individuals belonging to A4 or essential workers who received the first dose of anti-COVID-19 vaccines and 91,092 who received two doses.
In total, 605,434 individuals received the first dose and 340,050 for the second dose or 28.33% of the target of 1.2 million vaccinated residents to achieve herd immunity.
As of Tuesday, DOH-Davao reported 327 new cases in this city, bringing the total cases to 40,659, with 7,018 active, 32,376 recoveries, and 1,265 deaths.
The DOH-Davao reported that of 10 additional Delta variant cases were discovered on September 6, three came from Davao City, five from Tagum City, one from Pantukan in Davao de Oro, and one from Mati, Davao Oriental. To date, the region logged a total of 58 Delta cases, 135 Alpha cases, and 297 Beta cases. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)
