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House to set aside P50M for COVID-19 vaccination of employees, family members


The House of Representatives will set aside P50 million from its internal funds for the COVID-19 vaccination of the chamber's employees and their five immediate family members once a vaccine is available.

No less than Speaker Lord Allan Velasco made the announcement during a media forum on Wednesday.

"We’ve decided that for the normalcy of business in Congress, we’ve decided to set aside a certain amount for the vaccines, for purchasing of vaccines for our employees times five," Velasco said.

"So five of their immediate family members will be included, mainly because we want the legislative mill to be grinding," he added.

Velasco also said that members of the House media and their five immediate family members will be included in the COVID-19 vaccination of the chamber.

"Naisip ko rin na ang ating media friends who’s also considered as our family. So we’ll include our media friends in the vaccines," he said.

After House employees and the media have been vaccinated, the members of the chamber will follow, Velasco said.

"We’ll start to get the vaccines first for the employees and the media and their families. And kung may natira, then that’s the time we use them for the House members and also five of the immediate members of their family," he added.

Vaccine czar and National Task Force Chief Implementor Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. earlier reported that the Philippines is eyeing at least three to four vaccines for use in the Philippines with the earliest coming in the second quarter of next year.

The three vaccines, in order of stages of negotiations, are AztraZeneca from the United Kingdom, Sinovac from China, Pfizer from the US.

Velasco said they are eyeing to distribute either AztraZeneca or Sinovac for the chamber's COVID-19 immunization program. — RSJ, GMA News

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