SAN JOSE, Antique – Gov. Rhodora Cadiao assured Antiqueños she is willing to realign the budget for the construction of a new government center to the procurement of vaccines for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
She recently allotted P10 million from the province’s 20 percent development fund for the vaccines, but this may not be enough.
The provincial government previously bared a plan to build a new capitol for P464 million – P200 million for the lot and P264 million for the building’s construction.
The initial budget of P10 million for the vaccines is “cold cash” ready any time to be forwarded to the Department of Health (DOH), according to Provincial Accountant Esther Minnie Julian.
DOH guidelines prohibit local government units from purchasing the vaccines directly from pharmaceutical companies, explained Dr. Ric Noel Naciongayo, provincial health officer.
All transactions relative to the procurement or reservation of the vaccines should be coursed through DOH, he stressed.
The Provincial Health Office (APHO) already crafted a vaccination plan for Antiqueños.
The P10 million may be able to buy 70,000 vaccines.
An additional budget will guarantee that all Antiqueños would be vaccinated./PN
