GENERAL SANTOS CITY –– The local government here has allocated at least P200 million for the purchase of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines, Mayor Ronnel Rivera said.
In a statement, Rivera said the local government is procuring its vaccines despite assurances from the national government that the city will be one of the pilot areas for the vaccination program in Mindanao.
This is to ensure that the residents of the city would be protected from COVID-19, he added.
The mayor said the vaccination committee of the local Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases is eyeing the purchase of various COVID-19 vaccines.
He said the local government has also allotted P10 million for the storage facility, transport and distribution of the vaccines, on top of the P200 million for the purchase of vaccine doses.
Rivera said the city government is in talks with the League of Cities of the Philippines, which is assisting city governments in the procurement of vaccines.