Philippines needs P90 billion for COVID-19 shots next year: senator

ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/news/05/07/20210505-covid-vaccine-sputnik-v-makati-bhs-20.jpg"/><figcaption>A medical worker transfers a COVID-19 vaccine dose into a syringe during an inoculation program inside the Makati Coliseum, which was converted turned into a vaccination site, on May 5, 2021. Basilio H. Sepe, ABS-CBN News</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA — The Philippines needs to set aside P90 billion to bankroll the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines in 2022, a senator said on Friday, as he enumerated what lawmakers and pandemic &quot;czars&quot; discussed in a recent meeting. Sen. Ping Lacson said he and and Senate President Vicente Sotto III met with the officials, who said they would &quot;need P90 billion for next year’s vaccine procurement budget.&quot; The officials asked that this be included in the regular budget of the health department &quot;to ensure its availability,&quot; instead of putting it under un-programmed funds, Lacson said in a statement. He said another P20 billion would be needed for the purchase of vaccines under &quot;Bayanihan 3&quot;, the proposed third stimulus package to help the economy recover from the COVID-19 crisis Lacson said he urged pandemic &quot;czars&quot; to check if this could be sourced from the unused appropriations of several executive agencies, &quot;as it is allowed under the Constitution as well as the extended effectivity of the Bayanihan law already passed.&quot; He said the meeting also discussed the business sector’s commitment &quot;to make available spaces in malls and hotel ballrooms for some 5,000 vaccination centers, 1,200 of which are in the NCR (National Capital Region).&quot; The sites, he said, could inoculate some 58 million Filipinos by the end of the year, &quot;assuming that enough doses will arrive as scheduled, which they (czars) said they are pursuing around the clock.&quot;&quot;Meantime, continuous simulations are being done to ensure efficiency at the proper time,&quot; said the senator. Senators and the pandemic response leaders also discussed &quot;immediate legislative action vs red tape in the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) that hampers government efforts&quot; against COVID-19, Lacson said.&quot;We agreed on a plan to resolve [this] quickly enough,&quot; he said. Vaccine &quot;czar&quot; Carlito Galvez Jr, who is also chief implementer of the National Task Force Against COVID-19, has yet to reply to ABS-CBN News&#x27; request for comment. The Philippines, which has the second highest number of COVID-19 cases in Southeast Asia, aims to inoculate up tp 70 million people or two-thirds of its population against the respiratory disease this year. Authorities have received 5.540 million COVID-19 shots, of which at east 2.065 million have been administered as of May 4. <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/multimedia/infographic/03/23/21/philippines-covid-19-vaccine-tracker">Philippines: COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker</a></li></ul><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1675088" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

The Philippines needs to set aside P90 billion to bankroll the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines in 2022, a senator said on Friday, as he enumerated what lawmakers and pandemic "czars" discussed in a recent meeting.

The Philippines needs to set aside P90 billion to bankroll the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines in 2022, a senator said on Friday, as he enumerated what lawmakers and pandemic "czars" discussed in a recent meeting.

Philippines needs P90 billion for COVID-19 shots next year: senator | ABS-CBN

Entertainment

News

Metro.Style

Sports

More

News

Philippines needs P90 billion for COVID-19 shots next year: senator

Philippines needs P90 billion for COVID-19 shots next year: senator

ABS-CBN News

Published May 07, 2021 01:15 PM PHT

Read More:

COVID vaccine

Philippines vaccine 2022

COVID

coronavirus

COVID Philippines

COVID surge

COVID quarantine

COVID updates

COVID latest Philippines

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2024 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Advertise with Us

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

© 2024 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.