By Lade Jean Kabagani | Philippine News Agency
MANILA – President Rodrigo R. Duterte said there is still a high percentage of vaccine hesitancy among Muslim communities in Mindanao.
“For the information of everybody, in Mindanao, the Muslim community are resisting the bakuna (vaccines),” Duterte said during his prerecorded Talk to the People aired on Monday night, Jan. 24.
Duterte made the remarks on low vaccine uptake after 100 passengers bound for Zamboanga were stranded at the North Harbor Terminal 4 due to the “no vaccination, no ride” policy of the government.
“I am not confident about their taking—the allowing the vaccines into their bodies because I think it’s something more of religious belief,” he said. “Pero iyan ang tingin ko. Sa Mindanao ayaw talaga. Marami dyan ang (That’s how I see it. People in Mindanao don’t want to. Many of them are not vaccinated because) simply they do not want to.”
Meanwhile, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) already assisted the unvaccinated passengers to return to their respective hometowns.
The National Task Force Against COVID-19 reported that among 17 regions nationwide, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, has the least number of vaccinated individuals, with only 25.22% or 769,604 individuals out of its 70% or 3,051,196 total targeted population, are fully vaccinated and 47,081 received booster shots. (PNA)– bny
