More local governments want to buy own vaccines
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — This capital city in Northern Mindanao region and two towns in Nueva Ecija province have joined other local governments in the country that are eyeing the purchase of coronavirus vaccines.
The decision to acquire COVID-19 vaccines by local government officials came on the heels of the emergence of a new variant of the virus that was first reported in the United Kingdom.
Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Oscar Moreno said they were considering allocating from P300 million to P500 million for the vaccination drive.
“We’ll be meeting with all City Hall departments concerned about our commitment to the national government in the vaccine rollout program,” he said.
Moreno noted that there were already several local governments that specified a certain amount for the vaccination “but we in the city want to make sure that we can commit the funds.”
In Mindanao, the cities of Davao, Iligan and Zamboanga, and the Bangsamoro regional government have announced their financial readiness to procure the vaccines.
The leaderships in the provinces of Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte have also said they would be allocating funds once the vaccines are available in the country.
Similar funding commitments were also made by a number of localities in the Visayas, including Cebu City and province, and most provinces in Central, northern and southern Luzon.
Coordination
Moreno said the health department and other national government agencies had already coordinated with them in the vaccination program.
“Already, the national government, through the Department of Health, asked for our data and our own program in relation to the vaccine rollout,” he disclosed.
“As I’ve said before, the vaccination rollout program in Cagayan de Oro City will benefit in part from the private companies, especially banks and financial institutions, which are expected to fund the vaccination of their employees based in the city,” the mayor added.
“If need be, we will set aside that amount but we want to know how much do we really need and the timetable to implement the rollout,” Moreno said.
Vaccine for all
In Nueva Ecija, the city council of Gapan approved on Wednesday a resolution allotting an initial P150 million for the procurement of vaccines, said Mayor Emerson Pascual.
The mayor said their anti-COVID-19 vaccination program would benefit every resident of this city, which has a population of 110,300 based on the 2015 census.
He said the local government would add more funds if the budget for the vaccine would not be sufficient.
Vice Mayor Inocencio Bautista said the vaccination program had been readied since October last year and the local government was just waiting for the availability of COVID-19 vaccines in the country.
FDA approval
Pascual assured the residents that the city would only procure vaccines approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
He said the vaccination program would prioritize front-liners, senior citizens, tricycle drivers and other vulnerable sectors.
In Palayan City, the local government has also set aside a P50-million fund for the vaccines that would benefit its more than 41,000 residents.
Mayor Adrianne Mae Cuevas said she would coordinate with Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., COVID-19 response chief implementer and vaccine czar, regarding the city’s plan for the vaccine purchase.
Cuevas said they had been reaching out to accredited vaccine suppliers as preparation for the procurement.
For more news about the novel coronavirus click here.
What you need to know about Coronavirus.
For more information on COVID-19, call the DOH Hotline: (02) 86517800 local 1149/1150.
The Inquirer Foundation supports our healthcare frontliners and is still accepting cash donations to be deposited at Banco de Oro (BDO) current account #007960018860 or donate through PayMaya using this link.
