POC to purchase COVID-19 vaccines for SEAG athletes

The Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) will procure coronavirus vaccines for national athletes heading to the Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) in Hanoi, Vietnam.

In a statement released on Wednesday, POC president Abraham Tolentino said they will purchase the vaccines as a private entity, through the $40,000 subsidy of the Olympic Council of Asia.

“This is good news for Filipino athletes who will be competing in the Hanoi SEA Games,” Tolentino said. “Once they get inoculated, they can train with very little fear of getting infected,” he added.

POC first vice president Al Panlilio will lead the task force assigned to procure the said vaccines.

"The POC understands how important it is to inoculate our national athletes not just for their physical well-being but psychologically as well. Getting this done at the soonest possible time will allow them to solely focus on their preparations," Panlilio said in a separate statement.

POC said it formed a delegation of at least 600 athletes for the 2021 edition of the biennial meet scheduled for November this year.

For the athletes heading to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, their vaccines will be sponsored by business tycoon Enrique Razon. Six Filipino athletes have already qualified for the Tokyo games.

The Philippine government last March 29 allowed private firms to purchase COVID-19 vaccines "at will" to curb the further spread of the virus. —Justin Kenneth Carandang/JMB, GMA News