Local execs appeal for more vaccine allocation to provinces, allow A4 vaccination

The Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP) on Monday appealed to the national government to allocate more COVID-19 vaccines to provinces and allow the inoculation of those under A4 category.

Interviewed on ANC, ULAP president and Quirino Governor Dakila Cua pointed out that there is a policy issue on why the A4 vaccination has not started yet.

“Ang pakiusap namin bigyan ng more allocation ‘yung provinces, number one. And number two, the NCR + 8 has been authorized to inoculate A4. Sa mga probinysa hindi pa po. Sana mapayagan,” he said.

(Our number one request is to give more allocation to provinces. And number two, the NCR + 8 has been authorized to inoculate A4. In provinces, not yet. I hope it will be allowed.)

According to Cua, the vaccination rollout should be shifted to provinces now considering the surge of COVID-19 cases in these areas.

In June, Iloilo City Mayor Geronimo Treñas blamed the rising number of COVID-19 cases in Western Visayas to the allocation of most vaccine doses to the NCR Plus area.

In a July 9 report, OCTA Research identified the cities of Davao, Iloilo, General Santos, Cagayan de Oro, Baguio, and Tagum as areas of concern due to their upward COVID-19 trends.

As of Saturday, the Philippines has received a total of 20,607,570 doses from different COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers.

On Friday, the Department of Health said the Philippines has fully vaccinated 4.5% or 3.2 million of its 70 million target population for COVID-19 jabs.

Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje said 12,703,081 doses have been administered nationwide as of July 8, with an average of around 200,000 shots per day.

A total of 9,493,839 individuals have received at least one dose, accounting for 13.4% of the government’s 70-million target.  —KBK, GMA News