PERCEPTIONS OF SELECTED GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES ON MANDATORY

COVID – 19 VACCINATION

A Research Presented to
the Faculty of the
School of Law
University of San Jose – Recoletos
Cebu City, Philippines

In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for Legal Research
for the Degree JURIS DOCTOR

by
SAMANTHA NICOLE DE DIOS
MARK C. MAYLAN
ZESA S. MINO
LYNN HAZEL O. MOJANA
JUSTINE JANE M. MONTILLA
EDISON A. OYAG
ROLJEE PADILLA
PATRICK C. SAAVEDRA
LYRA MAE A. TOGONON

December 2021
 ACKNOWLEDGMENT

As we reflect back on the amazing and overwhelming support we received from

all of you during this gargantuan endeavor, we are deeply appreciative and blessed.

Some of you were our editors, readers, critics, and cheerleaders. Others lifted us up in

prayer and/or sent many encouraging texts, or Facebook post and Messenger chats.

There are a lot of people whom we indebted to and to whom we have to express our

gratitude, since they have contributed to this paper substantially in different ways all this

semester, either on the professional or on the personal front.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to my brilliant Legal Research

professor, Atty. Raymiejella Sususco- Viagedor for the continuous support as we craft

our research. It has always been our privilege to be in her class. Because of her, we

were able to widen our perspectives, and created many great opportunities and

experiences. We thank her for the motivation, enthusiasm, patience, and immense

knowledge while allowing us the room to work in our own way. Her guidance helped us

in all the time of research. We doubt that we will ever be able to convey our appreciation

fully, but we owe her our eternal gratitude.

To the members of our group Support Lokal, the research buddies, a million

thanks also for the gentle and solicitous prodding that the paper may see its final form.

To our parents and families, thank you for being our place of refuge, for the

unconditional love and willingness to sacrifice for us. Thank you for the concern,

support, untold prayers for this success, for believing in us and for urging us to work

harder to accomplish this requirement. You all have always been counted as a silent

part of it all, ever since we started visualizing the work.

 For the unnamed persons who have lent an ear, a shoulder, an eye, or any other

help to our work and to our lives, thank you. You have helped us to explore more on the

road of life. To you and all who read this, thank you so much!

Above all, to Him, our Lord Jesus Christ the greatest mentor, confidant and ever

loving Father for making up things worthwhile and possible and for giving us a rare

opportunity to work and deal with magnanimous people. He is the source of everything

we have. We cannot imagine get through this research without Your presence. We offer

this paperwork to Your Holy Name.

~teamsupportlokal~
 Chapter 1. Introduction
Rationale of the Study

The world almost shut down when COVID-19 pandemic hit most of the countries
in 2020 including the Philippines. The onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic severely
affected the economy of the Philippines. Business establishments were closed, and
many Filipinos lost their jobs. After more than a year of stricter quarantine status, the
government loosened COVID-19 restrictions to spur economic recovery as the number
of infections declined.

Government agencies and departments had to adapt to Work-At-Home

arrangements to be able to continue serving the public. The development of COViD-19
vaccines enabled the Philippine government to allow the gradual opening of the
economy, including the gradual return of face-to-face interactions with the government
agencies and departments. Private and government offices are now allowed to fully
operate and are almost back to normal. The government is faced now with the
challenge of providing effective measures to prevent the possible surge of cases of
COVID-19.

By virtue of the government’s duty to protect the health and welfare of the
people, it aims to boost the country’s vaccination rate to combat the spread of the
COVID-19 disease. One of the means to achieve this objective, is to make the COVID-
19 vaccination mandatory.

The government of the Philippines initiated a campaign aiming for an immunity

herd. However, the vaccine hesitancy among Filipinos is evident. Several recent studies
show that fake news, negative media information, and concerns about vaccine safety
are among the most common reasons why until now, Philippines has not gotten yet a
good passing percentage for getting a community herd. The Philippines Department of
Health had launched several campaigns to entice everyone to get vaccinated.

Mandatory COViD-19 vaccination has been a talk lately. While Republic Act No.
11525 Section 12 clearly stipulated that vaccination card shall not be considered a
mandatory requirement for employment and other similar government transactions. In
the recent issuance of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging
Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), all establishments and employers in the public and
private sector shall require the eligible employees who are tasked to do on-site work to
be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Eligible employees who remain to be unvaccinated may not be terminated solely

by reason thereof but shall be required to undergo RT-PCR test regularly at their own
expense for purposes of on-site work. In other words, the COVID-19 vaccination is
highly encouraged but still not made mandatory by the government, considering that
unvaccinated employees can still do on-site work for as long as regular RT-PCR test is
conducted.

Violation to one’s constitutional right to privacy, discrimination and being

unreasonable and oppressive are just few of the issues that will be thrown to the
government the moment the COVID-19 vaccination is made mandatory. Government
departments and agency heads should ensure to put the best interest of their Human
Resource in promulgating policies. As we all know, these departments and agencies will
not be able to function well without the human workforce.

To achieve this, executive and heads of government agencies should understand

the perceptions of the government employees manning these departments and
agencies. This study delves into understanding the perceptions of selected government
employees as to the issue whether the Philippine government shall make the COVID-19
vaccination mandatory for public welfare or to remain voluntary in view of the freedom of
choice of the people protected by the Constitution. A mix of quantitative and qualitative
method of determining these perceptions is a good start so that better labor policies are
created without jeopardizing both the individual freedom of the government employees
and the efforts of the government to promote public health interest.
Statement of the Problem

The current research investigates on the perceptions of government employees

about the mandatory COVID-19 vaccination.

Specifically, this seeks to answer the following questions;

1. What is the perception of the respondents as to;

a. Legality of the mandatory COVID-19 vaccination;
b. preference of getting vaccinated or not; and
c. welfare of getting vaccinated?
2. How does the respondent feel about mandatory COVID-19 vaccination?
3. How does the respondent feel about unvaccinated individuals?

Objectives of the Study

The study aims to provide an in – depth analysis and investigation on the

perceptions of selected government employees to mandatory COVID – 19 vaccination.
The study is anchored on the following objectives;

1. Select prospect respondents with accurate characteristics of the

individual, situation or group of this study (demographics);
2. Interpret perceptions about mandatory COVID – 19 vaccination basing
from different factors that affect their perception regarding the issue; and
3. Provide legal implications and consequences on health and flow of
service that will guide agency heads and executives in crafting policies
about the issue.

Significance of the Study

The result of this study is beneficial to the following entities;

The Government. This study gives an appropriate and effective guideline towards
developing a vaccination policy grounded on an ethical framework to be utilized
government agency executives. This research will provide views as the heads and
executives continue to face vaccination issues among their subordinates.

Government Employees. This study will provide an evaluation on the how a

vaccination mandate would affect a government worker's right to freedom and bodily
integrity.

Law Students. This study will be an instrument that will help law students gain further
understanding on the topic and how such a policy can be ethically justified.

Future Researchers. The ideas presented in this study may be utilized as background
or reference data in the conduct of a new study or in determining of other similar
findings.

Scope and Limitation of the Study

This study focuses on the perceptions of selected government employees on

mandatory COVID-19 vaccination. The data collection is collected to 45 various
government employees from Region 7,8, and 9 who will represent the sample of
population. This study is limited only to perception of respondents towards mandatory
COVID – 19 vaccination pertaining to legality of the mandatory COVID-19 vaccination,
preference of getting vaccinated or not; and welfare of getting vaccinated. This study
will not cover other matters relating to mandatory COVID – 19 vaccination. The study
would be done through the utilization of online survey forms to the government
employees as a survey and reference.

Research Design
The current study employs mixed method research design research as it utilizes
quantitative and qualitative approaches. Creswell and Plano Clark (2011) define mixed-
methods research as those studies that include at least one quantitative strand and one
qualitative strand. Quantitative approach is used in determining the mode of the
response on agreement and disagreement status of the respondents regarding the
mandatory COVID – 19 vaccination. On the other hand, qualitative approach was used
in treating data that pertains to the explanation of the respondents on their feelings
about mandatory vaccination and for those who are unvaccinated. There are 45
respondents in this study who are chosen through convenient sampling procedure. Data
is gathered through a survey using the Google form which is sent to the respondents
through online. Basic statistical tools are employed in this study which includes mode,
average and percentage for quantitative data, and thematic analysis for coding of
emerging themes for qualitative data.

Definition of Terms

The following terms are defined operationally in order to fully understand how the
terms are used in this study.

Perception. Refers to the personal point of view of the respondent as to the

agreement and disagreement of the mandatory COVID – 19 vaccination as well as its
legality and point of view for unvaccinated individuals.

Selected Government Employees. Refers to the 45 government employees

coming from Regions 7 – 9 which covers from various government agencies such as
but not limited to Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Education,
Local Government Unit and the like.

Review of Related Literature

The spread of the unprecedented COVID-19 has grappled the world. It did not
only cause the exponential rise of sufferings and loss of lives of those who were
infected, but it also brought a dramatic consequence to offices especially government
transactions and businesses. As lockdowns and restrictions surfaced, services offered
by government offices were interrupted. Consequently, it resulted to the exposition of
the many inadequacies and inequities in the government system.

In a survey conducted by World Bank, it was found out that COVID – 19 has
resulted to unemployment, loos of livelihood and job opportunities. Despite the
preventive measures done by the government, it is a fact that the Philippines is greatly
affected by this pandemic. The restrictions and on-site operations of industry,
businesses, public mobility and public transportation capacity impeded the growth of the
economy from 2020 up to the present.
 The Philippine government along with the collaborative efforts of all the
department heads and executives, came up with a concerted effort to make sure that
government services continue even with the threat of the pandemic. The Congress of
the Philippines enacted Republic Act 11494 or known and cited as Bayanihan to
Recover As One Act. Under this Act, Section 3 (g), it explained that it aimed to have a
fast recovery of the economy and bolstering resilience through collective efforts. This
Act directed the government agencies to follow the implementing rules and regulations
given by the Department of Health (DOH) and the Civil Service Commission (CSC).
This is the government’s response to the challenges posed by COVID 19 in the field of
government agency offices. It is framed to response with the new normal to continue
serving the Filipino citizens with good quality services at all times.

The first memorandum circular released by the CSC regarding the Work-from-
Home Arrangement of all government employees dated May 7, 2020 under CSC
Resolution No. 2000540 provided the working guidelines of government employees for
on site and off site duty. It was further amended through CSC Resolution No. 200912
promulgated on October 14, 2020. The CSC had released numerous circulars for
Alternative Work Arrangements During the State of Public Health Emergency Due to
COVID-19 Pandemic. Up until this very day, the Work-from-Home Arrangement is still
being practiced by all government agencies.

With the continued services offered by government offices, the government

employees are at high risk. The posing threat of getting infected of the COVID – 19
virus due to work cannot be denied. This is why, DOH launched its COVID – 19
vaccination campaign in order to entice Filipinos to get vaccinated. Resbakuna:
Kasangga ng BIDA COVID-19 vaccination campaign was borne out of the efforts of the
government to at least mitigate the rising cases of Filipinos getting infected with COVID
– 19. However, the campaign has brought clamors, fears, doubts, and uncertainties
because of misinformation taken from the social media. This is the reason why
achieving the good passing percentage for getting a community herd is difficult.

The statistics in the study of Naeem et. al (2020) entitled, An Exploration of How
Fake News Is Taking Over Social Media and Putting Public Health At Risk reported that
there is much concern during this pandemic about the spread of misleading or
inaccurate information. The study concludes that the COVID‐19 infodemic is full of false
claims, half backed conspiracy theories and pseudoscientific therapies, regarding the
diagnosis, treatment, prevention, origin and spread of the virus. Fake news is pervasive
in social media, putting public health at risk. The scale of the crisis and ubiquity of the
misleading information require that scientists, health information professionals and
journalists exercise their professional responsibility to help the general public identify
fake news stories. They should ensure that accurate information is published and
disseminated.

In a research study conducted by Migriño et. al (2020) entitled, Factors Affecting

Vaccine Hesitancy Among Families With Children 2 Years Old And Younger In Two
Urban Communities In Manila, Philippines, it was revealed that the main reasons
identified for vaccine hesitancy were exposure to negative media information and
concerns about vaccine safety. The main negative media information identified by the
respondents was related to the dengue vaccine, Dengvaxia.

This was supported by another research conducted by Vergara et. al (2021)

entitled, Building public trust: a response to COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy predicament.
The study revealed that the rollout of vaccines against COVID-19, was hampered by
negative and pessimistic outlooks of the Filipinos. Sadly, the survey revealed that there
is a significant rate of distrust against the vaccines.

Some government agencies require unvaccinated employees to be vaccinated

otherwise they may be required to submit a "negative" RT-PCR test result or to comply
to additional conditions or be subjected to restrictions, not being required from, or
imposed to, vaccinated individuals. This was even supported by a statement from the
Presidential Spokesperson himself, Harry Roque. He mentioned in a news report from
Reuters that unvaccinated employees will be required to undergo tests at their own
expense.

Nonetheless, in its tireless effort to convince unvaccinated Filipinos to get a dose

of the vaccine, the DOH launched Bayanihan Bakunahan: Ligtas. Lakas. Buong Pinas.
campaign last November 29, 30, and December 1, 2021. According to DOH, the
following days were declared as National COVID-19 Vaccination Days. It aims to
increase vaccine coverage and mobilize stakeholders from every sector to support the
national government’s goal of giving Filipinos a safe and healthy Christmas.

Vergara et. al (2021) suggested that numerous approaches in assisting

authorities dealing with vaccine hesitancy should be employed such as proper and
effective strategic communication as a solution. The study suggests however that a
more ‘localized’ public education and role-modelling from public officials and health
authorities can help a lot in building public trust.

The government had to find a new way to increase the percentage of vaccinated
Filipinos. This is the reason why, in order to lure more government workers to get a jab
of the vaccine, it was assured that workers who will participate in national vaccination
day will not be considered absent. CSC MC No. 16, s. 2021 provides that absence from
work during the day of inoculation of the first and second doses of COVID-19 vaccine,
including future booster shots are excused.

Under Republic Act No. 11525 Section 12, it was clearly stipulated that
vaccination card shall not be considered a mandatory requirement for employment and
other similar government transactions. Unfortunately, the Inter – Agency Task Force for
the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF – MEID) upon the directives of
President Rodrigo R. Duterte, they released Resolutions 148 – B and 149 mandating
full vaccination of onsite workers. The vaccination of all employees in the public and
private sectors is hereby made MANDATORY. This resolution shall be enforced
effective December 1, 2021.

It is not uncommon for governments and institutions to mandate certain actions

or types of behavior in order to protect the wellbeing of individuals or communities. Such
policies can be ethically justified, as they may be crucial to protect the health and
wellbeing of the public. Nevertheless, because policies that mandate an action or
behavior interfere with individual liberty and autonomy, they should seek to balance
communal well-being with individual liberties. While interfering with individual liberty
does not in itself make a policy intervention unjustified, such policies raise a number of
ethical considerations and concerns and should be justified by advancing another
valuable social goal, like protecting public health.

Vaccines are effective for protecting people from COVID-19. Governments

and/or institutional policy-makers should use arguments to encourage voluntary
vaccination against COVID-19 before contemplating mandatory vaccination. Efforts
should be made to demonstrate the benefit and safety of vaccines for the greatest
possible acceptance of vaccination. Stricter regulatory measures should be considered
only if these means are not successful. A number of ethical considerations and caveats
should be explicitly discussed and addressed through ethical analysis when considering
whether mandatory COVID-19 vaccination is an ethically justifiable policy option. Similar
to other public health policies, decisions about mandatory vaccination should be
supported by the best available evidence and should be made by legitimate public
health authorities in a manner that is transparent, fair, nondiscriminatory, and involves
the input of affected parties.

Chapter 2. Discussion

This chapters presents, discuss, interprets and analyzes the data gathered from
the online survey conducted by the researchers. Quantitative data are presented
through graphs while qualitative data are analyzed using thematic analysis and
presented through tables.

The study is conducted in order to investigate the perceptions of the government

employees on the mandatory COVID – 19 vaccination policy. The respondents are
chosen basing from the convenience of the researchers. The respondents are all
government employees coming from various agencies from Regions 7, 8, and 9. As can
be gleaned on the graph below there is a wide range of respondents coming from
different government agencies. The most numbered respondents gaining 26.6% comes
from Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), followed by 20% respondents
coming from Department of Education (DepEd) and then 17% of the respondents come
from Commission on Audit (COA). The remaining 36.4% are divided among
respondents coming from State Universities and Colleges (SUC), Department of Justice
(DOJ), Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Public Works and Highways
(DPWH), Local Government Unit (LGU), Department of Health (DOH), and Bureau of
Jail Management and Penology (BJMP). The wide range of government agencies as
represented by respondents in this study gives a vantage point for the researchers to
have a clearer and wider views and perceptions about the mandatory COVID – 19
vaccination.

In terms of the perception of the respondents as to legality the mandatory

COVID-19 vaccination, the online survey revealed that 37.8% of the respondents
perceived that they Agree that it is legal for the government to implement mandatory
vaccination. More than a quarter of the total number of respondents perceived that the
Disagree on the legality of the mandatory COVID – 19 vaccination. Respondents who
Strongly Agree on legalizing mandatory COVID – 19 resulted to 20% and the remaining
15.6% are those respondents who Strongly Disagree on the legality of mandatory
COVID-19 vaccination. It can be inferred that there are diverse perceptions of the
government employees as regards to the mandatory COVID – 19 vaccination.

In an article posted by Bloomberg.com, only nearly a third of 2,400 Filipino adults

polled said they are willing to be vaccinated, while 21% couldn’t say yet if they want to
be inoculated. Of those who don’t want to get the vaccine, 84% said they are “not sure
of its safety.”
 When respondents were asked as to their perception on preference of getting
vaccinated or not, almost half of the respondents or 46.7% of the respondents Strongly
Agree that getting vaccinated is a choice and should not be forced upon individuals.
While 35.6% of the respondents Agrees that vaccination is a personal choice and it
should not be forced. On the other hand, 13.3% percent of the respondents Disagree
and contends that vaccination is should be encourage among individuals and it should
be imposed, and 4.4% of the respondents Strongly Disagree and perceives that
mandatory COVID – 19 vaccination should be implemented.

It can be concluded that there are several reasons on the perceptions of the
respondents as to the legality of the mandatory COVID – 19 vaccination. Justice
Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra said in an online article posted in Business World, a law
is needed to make vaccination against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
mandatory in the Philippines if penalties and sanctions will be used to enforce it. He
further explained that if there is no legislation, the executive branch may only use “moral
suasion” to persuade the public to get vaccinated, such as “the grant of incentives.”

In the recent study of Bautista et. al (2021) entitled, Acceptability of Vaccination

Against COVID-19 Among Selected Residents of the Cities of Caloocan, Malabon, and
Navotas, Philippines, of 137 respondents, 71% will take a COVID-19 vaccine if it
becomes available, with similar rates among respondents from Caloocan (82%),
Malabon (83 %), and Navotas (81%). If a vaccine is proven safe and effective, more
respondents (82%) will take a COVID-19 vaccine. Furthermore, safety against COVID-
19 as well as the safety and effectiveness of vaccines are the primary factors why
respondents are willing or unwilling to get a vaccine. The results highlight the need for
effective messaging that promotes COVID-19 vaccination, with emphasis on the safety
and effectiveness of the vaccine, and its benefits to the public, especially that the
vaccines that will be delivered in the country in the next few months are not the most
preferred brands by the respondents.

As to the welfare of getting vaccinated 42.2% of the respondents Strongly Agree

that getting vaccinated is more of a public interest than individual interest. Having
almost the same view and perception as to the motive of getting vaccinated, 33.3%
Agrees to it. On the other hand, 13.3% of the respondents Disagree and said that
getting vaccinated is more of an individual interest than public interest. The remaining
11.1% said that they Strongly Agree on the statement that getting vaccinated is more of
a public interest than individual interest.

In a recent correspondence, Cordero (2021) has succinctly pointed out that,

‘every person deserves the right to choose which brand of vaccine he or she will get for
protection.’ The author has rightfully reiterated that public officials should not take away
the fundamental right of human freedom in the implementation of the government’s
COVID-19 vaccination program. In other words, the government’s key role is to be
proactive, transparent and efficient in COVID-19 vaccines procurement and rollout to
promote public trust to reach herd immunity.

The online survey yielded numerous responses from the respondents regarding
their perception on mandatory COVID – 19 vaccination. The survey reveals both
positive and negative perceptions and views. As can be gleaned in the table below, it
was found out that most of the respondents have fear on the effects of the vaccine and
they feel aggrieved on their rights to choose and their right to freedom. Nonetheless,
there are still few respondents who said that they feel satisfied with the government’s
move to have mandatory COVID – 19 vaccination, in order to achieve community herd
and have a better and safer Philippines, and these responses led to the emerging
theme of satisfaction and security.

In a study entitled COVID-19-Related Anxiety and Health-Related Fears it

yielded that absence of anxiety were associated with higher vaccine acceptance,
whereas the fear of social and economic consequences showed the contrary direction.
These findings highlight the need to differentiate between several types of fears and
anxiety to predict their influence on vaccine acceptance, and provide important
information and an essential base for future studies and interventions.

Extracts of Responses from Respondents Codes Themes

 (verbatim)
“I am worried if all are vaccinated. It is said that
vaccinated individuals, will experience mild Worried
symptoms…”
“Scared because of conflicting interest occurs
FEAR
between your freedom of choice and your Scared
responsibility as a citizen…”
“I find it disturbing especially to those who are not
willing to be vaccinated.”
Disturbed
“Indifferent because not everyone have a good
response in their body some of those people who
got their shots got an adverse reaction which leads
to a bad effect than being better.” Indifferent
“I don’t like the vaccines to be mandatory.. for me
getting vaccinated, not just for COVID, is always a
choice.”
“I feel it is constricting especially for those who are
having comorbidities who also fear the side effects
of the vaccine.”
“Mandatory Vaccination feels like they are taking
away the right of the people to choose whether or
Constricted
not to get the vaccine.”
“It violates people's basic right to life, hence it is
AGGRIEVED
unconstitutional.”
“I was extremely disappointed when they made it
"mandatory" The government clearly manipulated
employees!”
“I feel very disappointed because it seems that I am
deprived of my right/freedom.”
Disappointed
“I disagree with mandatory vaccination. We live in a
democratic and republican state where the right to
make choices is protected.”
“It’s frustrating that the government forces
individuals to get vaccinated even if they don't know Frustrated
what's the reason behind not getting the jab.”
“It is good, I think mandatory vaccination helps a
lot.”
“I feel good. I think it is about time to make it
mandatory.”
Good
“Mandatory vaccination is a good move of the
government in order to protect every citizens” SATISFIED
“I think it is best for the public to be vaccinated in
this time of the pandemic.”
Best
“Mandatory vaccination is commendable in situation
like the COVID-19 pandemic, the fundamental right Commendable
to physical integrity…”
“I feel safe. if all Filipinos are vaccinated, we will no
longer be afraid to get infected of COVID19 virus.”
Safe
SECURED
“I'm fine with it in the spirit of public interest…” Fine
 As to the respondent’s perception about unvaccinated individual, the online
survey turned out that more respondents have negative emotions about unvaccinated
people. The respondents feel disgust, fear, and precariousness. Meanwhile, some
respondents also respect the choice of unvaccinated individuals. As can be seen in the
table, there are multiple justifications about the emerging perceptions. This can mean
that there are various perceptions of the respondents about unvaccinated individuals
and certain reasons can be laid down why the respondents perceived them accordingly.

UNDP Philippines, in close collaboration with the National Economic and

Development Authority (NEDA) and the financial support of The Rockerfeller
Foundation, has commissioned this research titled, “Trends in COVID-19 Vaccine
Acceptance in the Philippines and Their Implications on Health Communication”, the
report generated significant insights related to vaccine acceptance, and factors that
determine change of behavior.

Extracts of Responses from

Codes Themes
Respondents (verbatim)
“I feel sad for those people who refuse to get
vaccinated because maybe they were
Sad
misinformed by the effects of the vaccine and
how it works.”
“I feel disappointed to people who refuse to
listen and those who choose to stay blind DISGUST
Disappointed
despite the blatant adverse effects of staying
unvaccinated.”
“I feel bad to them. They could be a reason
that we could not get back to the old normal Bad
very soon.”
“I felt sorry for them. They do not care about FEAR
Sorry
their health and safety.”
“Scared of what might happen to them if they
Scared
do not get a jab.”
“I am worried for them.” Worried
“Worried that they are misinformed”
“I feel worried about them especially if they
get infected with the virus.”
“Worried but it is still their choice whether
 they want to get vaccinated or not.”
“Risky because they never realized how fatal
Risky PRECARIOUSNES
it is to not even get vaccinated.”
“Not safe” Unsafe S
“I think it is okay. In the long run they will
realize whether getting vaccinated is Okay
important.”
“I feel good that there are people like me not
willing to be part of the experimental Good
vaccines.”
“It’s alright. It’s their life, it’s their choice.. no
RESPECT
one else knows ones body except
themselves…”
“It is alright that other people are not Alright
vaccinated. I believe that living and
promoting a healthy lifestyle is the way to
go.”

There could be possible various reasons on the various perceptions as to the

legality, preference and welfare of the mandatory COVID – 19 vaccination. We can
surmise that that there is currently a proliferation of fake news about the questionable efficacy
and safety of possible COVID-19 vaccines affecting full compliance of the Filipinos. The
government has extinguished all of its means in order for people to fully balance out
their choices on whether or not they should be vaccinated. Establishments offering
discounts and other privileges for vaccinated people etc. they have done all their part to
encourage individuals to be vaccinated. In the case of a global pandemic though where
a lot of people died and the whole world is paralyzed we need to assess if getting
vaccinated is indeed an individual interest because as we can see it's not.

Government implementing mandatory vaccination simply implies that while you

have the right to choose whether you can get vaccinated or not, you might not be able
to enjoy the privileges, protection and the treatment given to you by the state you are in.
A conflicting interest occurs between your freedom of choice and your responsibility as
a citizen towards the state to collectively protect it not just economically but also in the
health aspect.
 Chapter 3. Conclusions

This chapter presents the conclusions in the light of the foregoing findings. It is
laid down according to the sequence of the presentation of the statement of the
problem.

The study revealed that majority perceived the implementation of mandatory

vaccination as legal. They perceived the policy as an action which concerns more of a
public interest, rather than individual interest. However, despite the perception that it is
legally feasible, and that it would benefit the majority, still, respondents believed that
getting vaccinated is a matter of right and choice that the state needs to protect and
uphold.

Researchers posit that the seemingly inconsistent responses of the respondents

as regards the policy being legally feasible, and as regards it being mandated, is
because the policy contemplated is still a question up for debate. There is no existing
law yet to base it upon.

It was also found out that, respondents have conglomerated reasons towards
mandatory vaccination and towards people who do not get vaccinated. However, it
revealed that, while they fear for safety for themselves and for people who do not get
vaccinated, most, are aggrieved by the suppose policy of having vaccination to be
mandatory.

Chapter 4. Recommendations

After the thorough conduct of the research study through an online survey, the
results interpreted yielded the following recommendations.

The researchers recommend the following:

a.) Conduct the study on a larger scale of respondents from different

agencies and sectors of the government to warrant more reliability and
validity of data;
b.) Consider narrowing the respondents and conduct a comparative study
on the differences on the degree of perception between managerial
employees and rank and file employees;
c.) Conduct a correlational study between the perceptions of the
respondents and their educational background, age, sex, and civil
status;
d.) Create a comparative study on degrees of perception between
government and private employees;
e.) Conduct actual interview of the respondents to illicit more meaningful
responses provided face to face interview is permissible; and
f.) Investigate more factors surrounding or affecting perceptions such as
civil status, income, social stratification, health, etc.

REFERENCES
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APPENDICES
APPENDIX A: OVERVIEW OF PURPOSE OF THE STUDY – COURSED THROUGH
GOOGLE FORMS

APPENDIX B: PERSONAL INFORMATION QUESTIONS

APPENDIX C: LIKERT SCALE QUESTIONS
C.1 Question on the legality of mandatory vaccination

C.2 Question on vaccination being an individual’s choice

C.3 Question on Public Interest vs Individual Interest

APPENDIX D: QUALITATIVE QUESTIONS

D.1 Question on respondent’s view on mandatory vaccination

D.2 Question on respondent’s perception about others’ choice on vaccination