Imee doubts gov't can raise P54B for funding COVID-19 vaccine purchase

Senator Imee Marcos has expressed doubts about the capacity of the government to raise P54 billion for the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines. 

Marcos, in a CNN Philippines interview, noted that the P54 billion budget that the Senate earmarked for purchasing of vaccines was provided under the unprogrammed funds of the proposed P4.5 trillion national budget for 2021. This means the budget items will only be funded if the government is able to raise enough resources. 

“Ako, deskumpiyado ako sa P54 billion kasi under unprogramemd fund. Kapag unprogrammed, ala tsamba ‘yun eh, depende kung makakakolekta ang gobyerno ng maraming buwis,” Marcos said. 

“Paano ka makakakolekta [ng maraming buwis] eh hirap na hirap ang negosyo ngayon? Those are the things we need to address,” Marcos added.

The Senate and the House of Representatives will still reconcile the differing provisions of their versions of the proposed P4.5 trillion budget for 2021 before a Bicameral Conference Committee. 

The House version of the proposed 2021 budget hiked the budget for COVID-19 vaccines procurement under the Department of Health to P8 billion from P2.5 billion. 

Only COVID-19 vaccines from American firms Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, as well as British firm AstraZeneca in a joint effort with Oxford University, have been proven over 90% effective after human trials. 

Vaccines developed by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, however, cost more and pose logistical challenges to low and middle income countries since they require ultra low freezer or -70 degrees to -80 degrees Celsius for storage.

The Philippine government and the private sector already inked an initial 2.6 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine deal with British firm AstraZeneca—a number that would be good for one  million people.

The Philippines, which has a population of around 110 million, has recorded 429,864 COVID-19 cases as of Sunday. Of this number, 398,624 recovered while 8,373 died. The number of active COVID-19 cases is at 22,867. —KG, GMA News