FILE – Health workers in a vaccination facility in Ilocos Sur province prepare to administer COVID-19 vaccines. (Photo courtesy of Vigan city government)
MANILA, Philippines— Aside from ramping up Covid-19 testing and contact tracing, senators want the government’s pandemic response to focus on buying more vaccines as the country battles the more feared Delta variant.
“Given the state of our state coffers, perhaps there is some quick action we can do with respect to procuring more vaccines at the soonest possible time whether it’s a supplemental budget or a Bayanihan type of procurement…” Senator Sonny Angara, Senate finance committee chair, said during Monday’s session in the Senate.
Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon agreed with Angara, emphasizing the need to have “sufficient funds for vaccination.”
“You know, Mr. President, it’s easy to say let’s test, with all due respect, let’s test, let’s isolate. The reality on the ground, Mr. President, yung mga mahihirap ayaw magpa-test. Bakit po? Unang-una, may bayad. Pangalawa pag na test sila ng positive, isolated sila, hindi sila pwedeng lumabas. Hindi po makapaghanapbuhay lalong mahihirapan,” Drilon said.
(You know, Mr. President, it’s easy to say let’s test, with all due respect, let’s test, let’s isolate. The reality on the ground, Mr. President, is that poor people are not interested in getting tested. Why? First, you have to pay. Second, once they tested positive, they will be isolated and would not be allowed to go out and they can’t work.)
“Kaya po sa akin, given our condition today, itodo natin (So to me, given our condition today, let’s go full blast with) whatever resources we have for procurement of vaccination and have our herd immunity at the shortest possible time because that’s to me… that’s the key to have as many of our countrymen vaccinated at the soonest possible time so that we can revive our economy and prevent this further spread,” he added.
Malacanang has already announced that the proposed P5 trillion national budget will include P240 billion for the government’s response to COVID-19. Congress has not yet debated the budget proposal.
READ: P240 B proposed for COVID-19 response in 2022 budget
The pandemic issue was raised in the plenary when Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri informed the chamber that the country had again recorded the highest number of Covid-19 cases at 18, 332.
“I’m in shock that it has gone up this high so all hands on deck, Mr. President, let’s help everyone fight this COVID pandemic, continue our vaccination as well as the health protocols. Sana wala ng masyadong matigas ang ulo (I hope nobody gets too stubborn) and follow the health protocols…” Zubiri said.
READ: Highest since 2020: PH logs 18,332 new COVID-19 cases
The Pandemic began early last year with only about 1,000 COVID-19 cases, noted Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III.
“It appears that we did not improve at all,” Sotto said.
Zubiri explained that the surge in Covid-19 cases was due to the Delta variant.
Other senators also joined the discussion and reiterated the need to conduct more testing and contact tracing and rationalize the distribution of vaccines.