Mayor asks city council to pass funding law for coronavirus vaccines

SAN FERNANDO CITY—Mayor Hermenegildo Gualberto on Sunday (Feb. 22) asked the city council to pass an ordinance allocating funds for the purchase of coronavirus vaccines.

In a social media post, Gualberto said the city has yet to secure a deal with pharmaceuticals producing vaccines because it lacked documents.

At least P63 million has been readied for the vaccine purchase, Gualberto said.

The amount consists of P21 million allocated by the council’s finance committee last Jan. 6 and approved by the city development council on Jan. 15.

The remaining P42 million had already been available after the city council passed a resolution last Jan. 12.

Gualberto said the national government and pharmaceuticals would not entertain vaccine procurement proposals without the local council’s imprimatur.

He had already sent two letters to the city council to follow up the approval of the vaccine budget.

According to the mayor, he was willing to meet with city councilors to push for the budget approval and discuss a vaccination plan.

“We have no time to waste and that there should be no delay, especially about matters that concern our response and recovery from this pandemic,” the mayor said.

But the city council said it initiated the appropriation of funds for the purchase of vaccines since October last 2019 yet.

It said it received the vaccination plan from Gualberto’s office only last Feb. 18.

“Without this plan, the city’s vaccine budget cannot be approved,” the council said in a statement on Monday (Feb. 22).

The council said it agreed that the funding law for vaccines “must pass without unnecessary delay.”

TSB