DOH exec says loans to cover vaccine purchase in 2022

The budget for the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines in 2022 will come from loans, an official from the Department of Health (DOH) said on Wednesday. 

During the briefing of the House Committee on Health on the proposed budget of the DOH, Marikina City Representative Stella Quimbo said she noticed that it seems there is no budget allotted for the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines for fiscal year 2022. 

DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III responded that there is an allocation, under unprogrammed funds, of P45 billion for booster shots. He said the amount was initially P104 billion but it was decreased by the Department of Budget and Management. 

"Mayroon po tayo under unprogrammed funds... We initially proposed about P104-billion thereabouts but DBM put it under unprogrammed funds 'yung P45-billion, I mean to understand that this is going to be for booster doses," Duque said. 

DOH Undersecretary Mario Villaverde further explained that loans would cover for the first and second doses of anti-COVID-19 shots. 

"For next year po kasi itong loan natin will cover the first and second doses for certain types of vaccines and a single dose for Johnson and Johnson," Villaverde said. 

"For next year, nag-propose po, in case magkaroon ng decision ang technical side na magkakaroon ng booster, pero 'yun po nilagay ng DBM under unprogrammed so 'yun po ang alam kong decision doon," he added. 

According to Villaverde, this year's COVID-19 vaccines usually came from foreign-assisted projects, including those from the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). 

A total of P242.22 billion is being proposed for the DOH in fiscal year 2022. A huge chunk of this amount, worth P78.83 billion, is allotted for COVID-19 initiatives and programs related to the Universal Health Care law.

According to Duque, 44% of the DOH Office of the Secretary budget, which is P157.03 billion, is allotted for Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE), 42% for personal services, and 14% for capital outlay. —KG, GMA News