Duterte allows advance payments, supply deals on COVID-19 vaccines

President Rodrigo Duterte has approved recommendations for the Philippines to enter into advance supply agreements and provide early payments to COVID-19 vaccine producers, Malacañang said Thursday.

Duterte’s spokesperson Harry Roque said the President made the decision based on the recommendations of National Task Force Against COVID-19 chief implementer and vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr.

The idea of making advance payments was previously opposed by Duterte, but he later realized that other countries had already made such an arrangement, Roque said.

“Pumayag na po tayo na magkakaroon po tayo ng advance, kasi kapag hindi po tayo pumayag eh baka mangulelat doon sa mga bansa na makakuha ng vaccines,” Roque said at a news conference.

“Noong nakita po niya ang listahan ng mga bansang nag-aadvance payment, eh hindi naman tayo magpapahuli basta meron naman tayong pondo.”

Duterte also approved the various modes of financing, including the private-public tripartite agreements without cost to the government and the emergency use of COVID-19 vaccines.

An executive order will be issued to allow the emergency use of the vaccines, according to Roque.

The Palace earlier said the United States had committed to give access to COVID-19 vaccines once they become available.

Duterte’s office also said China had promised to supply the Philippines with vaccines while British drugmaker AstraZeneca had vowed to ship doses for developing countries.

Clinical trials in PHL

During the day's Laging Handa briefing,  Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) Director General and Health Undersecretary Eric Domingo said manufacturers of at least five potential COVID-19 vaccine products have expressed interest to conduct clinical trials in the Philippines.

According to Domingo, one of these potential vaccines, China's Sinovac, has already been cleared by the vaccine expert panel of the Department of Science and Technology and is currently under the evaluation of the FDA.

“Ito ay ini-evaluate natin ngayon at mukhang kaunting panahon na lang naman siguro at may ibang requirement na lang ang hinihingi natin para ma-approve natin ang clinical trial na 'to,” Domingo said.

In October, the DOST said the Sputnik V, Janssen, Sinovac, and COVAX have expressed intent to undergo clinical trials in the Philippines.

The Philippines plans to purchase an initial 50 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines for at least 25 million Filipinos next year. Priority will be given to the poor, security forces, government frontline workers and healthcare workers. —KBK, GMA News