Velasco: Memo on vaccine payment to help LGUs ‘transition to normalcy’

MANILA, Philippines — Speaker Lord Allan Velasco on Thursday welcomed the move of President Duterte to issue an order allowing local government units (LGUs) to make advanced payments to buy COVID-19 vaccines, saying this would help them transition “to some kind of normalcy.”

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque disclosed earlier that Duterte is expected to sign a memorandum order allowing a 50 percent advanced payment for the purchase of Covid-19 vaccines.

“This is an important step in our fight to defeat the spread of COVID-19 as this allows the speedy procurement of the most effective vaccines by LGUs cognizant that any delay would have serious consequences on how we move forward from this pandemic,” Velasco said in a statement.

“The President’s signing of the memorandum will also help our LGUs transition to some kind of normalcy as we aim to further open the economy to help the business sector reopen and reemploy those who have been displaced by the pandemic,” he added.

Velasco earlier filed House Bill No. 8648 which seeks to expedite the procurement and administration of COVID-19 vaccines in the country.

The measure allows LGUs to directly purchase COVID-19 vaccines from manufacturers.

However, lawmakers later agreed to strike out this proposal and instead opted to retain the current policy allowing LGUs to procure vaccines through a multiparty agreement with the national government and the vaccine manufacturer.

“Provinces, cities, and municipalities may purchase, only in cooperation with the [Department of Health] and [National Task Force] Against COVID-19, through a multiparty agreement which shall include the DOH and the DOH and the relevant supplier of COVID-19 vaccine or ancillary supplies,” the amended bill reads.

Nonetheless, the bill still removes the requirement for public bidding in a bid to expedite the procurement process.

The measure also pushes for tax exemptions for the vaccines purchased and the creation of an indemnity fund for “adverse events following immunization.” The House bill, however, does not specify the amount of the compensation fund, unlike the Senate version which set it at P500 million.

The House bill is still pending in the plenary for second and third reading approval.

EDV