League of provinces wants LGUs to be allowed to directly procure own COVID-19 vaccines

The League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP) on Monday joined the call of lawmakers to allow local government units (LGUs) to directly procure COVID-19 vaccines from manufacturers.

During the House Committee on Health inquiry into the government's vaccination program, Marinduque Governor Presbitero Velasco Jr., the LPP president, stressed the need for a "clear authority" from the national government to allow LGUs to procure COVID-19 vaccines.

"Our only concern is the authority of local governments from the national government to procure directly vaccines from the suppliers," he told the panel.

"Of course it has to pass through the national government, but we want clear authority to negotiate directly with the suppliers," he added.

Velasco said that although there are vaccines already reserved for 70% of the national population according to vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. and Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, LGUs also hope to secure their own vaccines for their remaining constituents.

"We want to get a firm commitment that the vaccines to be procured by the LGUs will be used for our constituents on top of the 70% of our constituents that will be vaccinated with the vaccines procured by the national government," he said.

Currently, LGUs are allowed to purchase COVID-19 vaccines through tripartite agreements with the national government and vaccine manufacturers.

Deputy Speaker Rufus Rodriguez earlier filed a resolution calling on the national government to allow LGUs to directly procure vaccines against COVID-19 from manufacturers.

"During these trying times, LGUs should be given authority to directly purchase vaccines provided that these vaccines are already approved by or given emergency use authorization by the Food and Drug Administration," Rodriguez said in his House Resolution 1460.

"Coordinated proper vaccination programs by the LGUs will significantly aid the government in its pursuit to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects, especially regaining some semblance of normalcy with businesses bouncing back and ultimately placing the economy well on its way back to recovery," he added.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon made a similar plea during the Senate hearing on the government's COVID-19 vaccine rollout last week.

"Allow and authorize not only the private sector but also the LGUs to be able to deal directly with the supplier. If the supplier would not want to deal with us, that's another matter, we don't have control over that," he said.

The Philippines targets to inoculate 50 to 70 million individuals within the year, and an estimated 50,000 is expected to be vaccinated in February.

Galvez earlier said the vaccine manufactured by American corporation Pfizer could be the first that will be used against COVID-19 in the country as the COVAX Facility will have an early rollout of the said brand. —KBK, GMA News