The City Council, during last Monday’s regular session, approved on first reading a proposed ordinance appropriating P50 million from the city government for the procurement of anti-Coronavirus Disease 2019(COVID-19) vaccine when made available from countries conducting the final stages of their trials on the appropriate vaccine to prevent the rapid spread of the deadly virus.
City legislators, in the proposed ordinance, stated that the vaccine to be purchased through the said funds will be exclusively for the people of the city.
The council stipulated that the proposed purchase of the vaccine shall be done pursuant to the Department of Health (DOH) guidelines in the procurement of vaccines.
The council proposed to the city’s Local Finance Committee to source out the required funds from any available source or may come from items which may be realigned to meet the fund requirement for the proposed purchase.
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According to the council, the COVID-19 is more than a health crisis nowadays being a global pandemic, but now it has become an unparalleled economic crisis that resulted to the significant loss of jobs and income, business recessions, reduced trade and industry activities and a decline in the business and job opportunities in all corners of the world.
The council emphasized the phenomenon has altered everyone’s way of life, and the uncertainty as to when everything will be back to normal remains dim as no vaccine against the deadly virus has yet been developed.
The council recognized the fact there re ongoing clinical trials in different countries on the possible development of the vaccine against the deadly virus, thus, the need for both the national and local governments to be ready in procuring such vaccines once these will be available in the market to help in reducing the wrath of the virus in the different parts of the country.
Earlier, President Rodrigo Duterte announced the appropriation of some P20 billion from the already depleted national coffers for the purchase of the anti-COVID vaccine when it becomes available most probably by the last quarter of the year or early next year depending on the progress of the ongoing clinical trials in the different countries.
The council asserted the city cannot entirely depend on the national government to supply the vaccine needs of the people, thus, the urgent need for the city government to appropriate a certain mount which the city could readily access to purchase its own vaccine on top of what the national government may give as there are no funds readily accessible in the city’s 2020 annual budget for the said purpose.
By Dexter A. See
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