President Duterte to certify as urgent bills fast tracking COVID-19 vaccine negotiations, deliveries
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has expressed his readiness Monday, February 15, to certify as urgent the passage of bills creating an indemnification agreement and advance market commitment to speed up coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine negotiations and deliveries.
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President Rodrigo Roa Duterte talks to the people after holding a meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) core members at the Arcadia Active Lifestyle Center in Matina, Davao City on February 15, 2021. ALBERTO ALCAIN/ PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO
In his report to President Duterte, Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said the country is finalizing the preparations for the massive vaccination program, noting that stakeholders are just awaiting the signing of an indemnification clause as well as advance market commitment.
“Kasi
po ngayon na-i-accomplish na natin ‘yong ating tinatawag na documentation. Ang
kailangan na lang po nila is mapirmahan ‘yong tinatawag na indemnification
agreement,” Galvez told the President during a meeting on government’s COVID-19
interventions.
“Kung
magkasundo na po sa indemnification agreement, wala na po tayong hadlang kasi
mayroon na po tayong preparation. Okay na po ang preparation natin,” the
vaccine czar added.
An indemnification clause refers to the agreement reached between stakeholders identifying the party that would take responsibility in case those receiving the jabs experienced adverse side effects.
Apart
from the indemnification agreement, Galvez said they are also waiting for local
government units’ (LGUs) approval of the Gavi COVAX advance market commitment
(AMC), an investment mechanism supporting low-income countries get access to
COVID-19 vaccines.
Galvez
said he is currently communicating with lawmakers, particularly with Sen.
Christopher “Bong” Go, to fast-track the passage of the two pending bills.
Senator Go said the President may certify the measures as urgent this week.
Assuring
the President that Philippines is on top of COVID-19 vaccine program
preparations, Galvez said they have already fulfilled requirements and
agreements with international organizations and companies to proceed with the
nationwide inoculation.
These
include securing an emergency use authorization (EUA) for vaccines as well as
providing necessary documents to the World Health Organization (WHO), COVAX
Facility and Gavi, he said.
The
country is expecting to receive up to 3 million vaccine doses by the end
February from the COVAX Facility, a global alliance seeking to help poor
countries vaccinate their population against the deadly coronavirus.
Pfizer,
Sinovac, Moderna Therapeutics, Novavax, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca,
CanSino Biologics Inc. and Gamaleya Research Institute are among the
pharmaceutical companies that the Philippines is negotiating with to procure
COVID-19 vaccines.
The Department of Health (DOH) has recorded 1,685 new COVID-19 infections on February 15, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 550, 860 with 511, 755 recoveries and 11, 517 deaths. PND
