MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte urged local governments to ramp up their daily vaccinations in order for the government to reach its target of inoculating 50 million individuals by the end of the year.

Duterte said the target cannot be reached if the country cannot go beyond its daily average of 400,000 to 500,000 jabs.

"Kailangan mag-ano, talagang walang hinto, at 'yung mga bakuna, sana umabot na doon sa mga pinakamalayong lugar, and the provincial, city, municipal health officials will take over," Duterte said in a recorded public address aired Monday night.

(We have to (vaccinate) non-stop, and the vaccines, they should reach far-flung areas, and the provincial, city, municipal health officials will take over.)

"Ang concern ko lang naman is that they would be able to preserve the integrity of the vaccines. That is very important," Duterte added.

(My only concern is that they would be able to preserve the integrity of the vaccines.)

Duterte also said local officials should come up with ways to identify who among their constituents have yet to receive the vaccine.

"I urge LGUs to come up with a more systematic and efficient way of finding out who among your constituents have not yet vaccinated," he said.

He likewise warned officials not to let politics get in the way of implementing guidelines.

"Kaya ako sinasabi ko sa kanila (I tell them), either you follow us or you have to answer to Secretary Año of DILG," Duterte said, noting that local chief executives should ensure that all officials will follow their vaccination policies.

"Bear in mind that alam mo ang kaso (the case), even administratively, you can be dismissed. It includes dismissal," he added.

The National Task Force Against COVID-19 last week announced its plan to raise the daily vaccination target to 1.5 million before Christmas.

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An average of 487,398 doses were administered in the past 7 days, according to data from the Department of Health.

As of Sunday, a total of 55,715,693 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered, of which 25,711,980 are second dose and single dose vaccines.