BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – The provincial government of Negros Occidental is working on securing more funds to ensure that all Negrenses will be given a vaccine against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
According to Atty. Rayfrando Diaz, provincial administrator, they are eyeing to get the budget from provincial government’s savings and personal services, maintenance and other operating expenses.
Diaz also disclosed the possibility of realigning the funds allotted for programs and projects which were cancelled in 2020.
Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson gave the Provincial Accounting Office until February 2021 to submit a report related to the proposed funds for the vaccine procurement.
“After which the books of the provincial government will be closed in order to determine their savings,” Diaz said.
Based on the Jan. 1, 2021 data of the Department of Health, Negros Occidental had total of 6,397 COVID-19 cases – 286 were active, 5,952 recovered and 156 died.
Earlier, Interior undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said the local government units are allowed to buy their own supply of COVID-19 vaccines.
“They can purchase COVID-19 vaccines approved by the Food and Drug Administration as augmentation,” Malaya said.
The national government is eyeing to use four COVID-19 vaccines by the first three months of 2021, according to Malacañang.
These vaccines that the Philippines hopes to use in the first quarter of 2021 are from Russia’s Gamaleya Institute and China’s Sinovac, Sinopharm and CanSino, said presidential spokesperson Harry Roque.
By the second quarter, the Philippines expects to get its supply of the vaccine from British drug group AstraZeneca, 2.6 million doses of which have been secured by the private sector, Roque said.
The COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer, Covax, Johnson & Johnson, Novavax and Moderna are set to arrive in the third quarter, he added./PN
