League of Provinces determining LGUs' demand for COVID-19 vaccines

The League of Provinces is assisting provincial governments in the country to secure COVID-19 vaccines for their constituents through a tripartite agreement with the national government and manufacturers, its head Marinduque Governor Presbitero Velasco Jr. said Friday.

"We sent a survey form to all the governors to indicate how much money they want to allocate for the vaccines that we can purchase for them and at the same time we requested them to state the vaccine which they prefer," Velasco said in a Senate hearing on the government's COVID-19 immunization program.

"Per agreement with the National Task Force, with Secretary Charlie Galvez and Secretary [Francisco] Duque, we will collate all these things and then we will go into a tripartite agreement," he added.

He underscored that this process does not cover highly urbanized cities.

The Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines affirmed the said information.

"'Yung sa mga component cities at municipalities lang po ang makikipag-collaborate with the provincial governments," Quirino Governor Dakila Cua, ULAP president, said.

"The independent and highly urbanized cities will directly coordinate with the NTF and the DOH (Department of Health)," he added.

During Monday's hearing, several senators questioned the national government's alleged monopoly on the vaccine procurement process.

On the heels of this criticism, President Rodrigo Duterte said local government units can choose the brand of vaccines they want to purchase but the national government still has to screen these.

"I am now addressing to — myself to the mayors and governors: You can choose any vaccine you like to buy. Wala kaming pakialam kung ano ang pipiliin ninyo. That’s one thing. Hindi kami makialam sa lahat ng bagay in the purchase," he said.

"But maybe, I don’t know… Alam mo kasi may batas tayo na lahat ng medisina of whatever nature and whatever characteristics, magdaan talaga muna nang pagsilip sa gobyerno... It is government who will say, 'Sige, ito ang pinili mo, Brand A, titignan ko ha, sandali.' Pagkatapos niyan, 'Oh, okay ‘to,'" he added. -MDM, GMA News