MAP hopes legal issues will be cleared in private sector purchase of COVID-19 vaccines

The Management Association of the Philippines (MAP), a group of top management business leaders, lauded the pronouncement of President Rodrigo Duterte allowing the private sector to procure COVID-19 vaccines.legal 

“The pronouncement of the President on private sector procurement of vaccines is welcome and we hope the legal issues surrounding this can be addressed immediately,” MAP said in a statement on Tuesday.

Duterte, on Monday night, said he ordered vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. to sign any and all documents that would allow the private sector to import “at will” and “whatever amount they want to bring in.” 

The private sector had earlier asked the government to allow it to import and buy COVID-19 vaccines directly from accredited sources without restrictions or conditions. 

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque earlier clarified that while Duterte allowed private firms to procure their own COVID-19 vaccine supplies, they are still required to enter into a tripartite agreement with the government since available vaccines are not commercially sold and were only allowed under an emergency use authorization. 

No more ECQ

MAP, meanwhile, said the business group group is hoping there will be no further extensions of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) “as, after a year of lockdowns, even large businesses are hurting and many smaller ones are on the verge of closing or have closed.”

“We understand that this is contingent on containing the rapid rise in cases,” it said.

New COVID-19 cases saw a dramatic increase, hitting all-time highs since the onset of the pandemic in March last year.

The surge in new cases has prompted the government to place Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal under ECQ - the strictest quarantine level - from March 29 to April 4.

The provinces of Quirino and Isabela were placed under modified ECQ from April 1 to 15 and April 1 to 30, respectively. 

The Cordillera Administrative Region, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Batangas, Tacloban City, Iligan City, Davao City, and Lanao del Sur will be under general community quarantine from April 1 to 30.

The rest of the country will be under MGCQ.

“We hope the government also takes appropriate measures to avoid further collapse of the economy, such as providing support for businesses to help them mitigate the impact of the pandemic,” MAP said.

“The current lockdown and any further extensions should be used to quickly augment our healthcare capacity and infrastructure, including massive testing in areas with high case counts,” it added.—LDF, GMA News