Running errands ‘high risk’: Gov’t urged to prioritize househelp in COVID-19 vaccination

By Billy Begas

Probinsyano Ako Rep. Bonito Singson Jr., on Sunday called on the Inter-Agency Task Force of Emerging Infectious Diseases to prioritize an estimated 1.2 million domestic helpers in the COVID-19 vaccination program.

Singson said almost all employed Filipinos have been listed under the A4 priority category but not the domestic helper.

“I can’t see any valid justification to exclude kasambahays in the vaccine priority list. If we want families that do not go outside their homes safe from the virus, we should also have our kasambahays inoculated at the soonest possible time like all other workers tagged as essential or frontline,” said Singson.

Singson pointed out that kasambahay are at high risk since they are usually the ones sent outside their homes for all sorts of errands, especially the purchase of food and other basic needs.

“Hindi naman dahil kasambahay ang tawag sa kanila ay puro work from home na ang trabaho nila. Marami sa kanila ang namamalengke, pinabibili ng mga gamot sa drugstore, nagpupunta sa sari-sari store o groceries; naglalabas ng basura at marami pang ibang gawain sa labas ng bahay,” he noted.

Citing provisions of the Domestic Workers Act (Republic Act 10361) Singson said the state and employers are mandated to safeguard the health and safety of the domestic helper “with due consideration of the peculiar nature of domestic work.”

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Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)