THE amount that was approved by Congress for the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines is enough to inoculate 60 million Filipinos, says a top Malacañang official.
In a statement following the Congress approval of an allocation of P72.5 billion for COVID-19 vaccines under the proposed 2021 national budget, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque assured the public that the decision of the Senate and House of Representatives to settle at a lower figure compared to the senators’ proposal of P83 billion, would not affect the government’s mass immunization program.
Of the P72.5 billion, P2.5 billion will be sourced from the regular funds of the Department of Health while the rest will come from un-programmed appropriations.
“Tingin ko po sapat po iyan. Kasi nga doon sa scheme na ipapatupad ng DOF [Department of Finance], hindi pa nga po galing sa national appropriations iyong P72 billion na initially kinakailangan natin para sa 60 million katao na mababakunahan,” Roque said during the press briefing.
Duterte’s mouthpiece was apparently referring to the other funding sources which include multilateral institutions such as the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank, domestic government financial institutions, and bilateral negotiations with countries from where the vaccines would originate.
“Kung maalala po ninyo napakaliit lang ng initial amount na kukunin natin sa budget kasi hindi nga natin alam kung kailan lalabas iyong bakuna. Pero ngayong malinaw na lalabas siya pagkatapos po maipasa ang budget, nandiyan na rin po iyan, so tama rin po iyan,” Roque said.
Senate finance committee chairman Sonny Angara has also expressed confidence that there is “sufficient” funding to inoculate 60% of the population under the proposed 2021 budget, which will soon be submitted to President Rodrigo Duterte for his signature.
Angara also said the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act has another P10-billion allocation for vaccines.
Nearly 25 million Filipinos composed of frontline health workers, the poor and uniformed personnel will be among the first to receive the COVID-19 vaccine as the country eyes to begin its mass immunization program within the first half of 2021.
The Philippines eyes to vaccinate 60 to 70 million people in three to five years. The country has an estimated population of 110 million.