Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri and Senator Imee Marcos on Thursday appealed for equity in the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines among provinces in the country.
The lawmakers’ statements came a day after vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr., at a Senate hearing, denied that the national government is allegedly withholding the tripartite agreements pursued by the local government units for their own COVID-19 vaccine supplies.
Galvez also assured that the majority of the millions of doses will be “equitably distributed” to different areas across the country.
“Ang hiniling ko lang sa kanya na dapat may sapat na bakuna para sa lahat nang probinsya nang ating bansa at hindi lamang sa isang region,” Zubiri said in a Viber message to reporters.
(Our appeal to him is to ensure that there are enough vaccines for all the provinces in our country and not only for one region.)
“Pangako ng IATF na i-allocate daw nila ang mga darating na bakuna pro-rated, equally to the different provinces without favoritism para sa ganun mabakunahan ang ating mga kababayan fairly even [those] in the far-flung communities. Bilang isang Probinsyano ay masaya na ako kung maitupad ng IATF ito,” he added.
(The IATF has promised that they will allocate the vaccines, set to be delivered in the country, pro-rated [and] equally to the different provinces without favoritism so that we can vaccinate our people fairly even [those] in the far-flung communities. As someone who is from the province, I will be happy if the IATF will be true to its word.)
Senator Imee Marcos also cited the complaints of the other provinces about “vaccine equity” amid surge of COVID-19 infections in areas outside Metro Manila.
“Sana’y tutukan din ang ibang mga lugar kung saan lumalala ang sitwasyon, at halos walang kakayahan ang maliliit na provincial hospital rumisponde- Tuguegarao, Cagayan de Oro, [Zamboanga] City, Laoag, at iba pa,” she said.
(We hope that they will also focus on other areas where the COVID-19 situation is worsening especially those LGUs which have limited capacity to respond to these surges like Tuguegarao, Cagayan de Oro, Zamboanga City, Laoag, etc.)
Marcos also questioned the limited vaccine supply allocated in Region VII, specifically in the Cebu province, claiming that the number of cases in the province is much higher than Metro Manila.
Furthermore, she hit the ”unrealistic” autonomy of the LGUs and the private sector to procure their own vaccine.
“Kahit nagkasundo na sila ng pharma manufacturer, kahit nakapagbayad na nga sila, kailangan pa rin aprubado sa isang mahiwagang ‘tripartite agreement’ kasama ng national government,” she said.
(Even though they already have an agreement with the pharmaceutical manufacturers, even if they already paid for their vaccines, they still need the approval of the mysterious ‘tripartite agreement’ with the national government.)
“Halos lahat nakatengga sa [Department of Health] o sa mga ‘czar,’ ‘on hold’ o ‘under review.’ May isa pang requirement, ‘yung FDA approval- na sa kabila ng pangakong two weeks maximum ang approval, buwan buwan na ang nakalipas,” she added.
(Almost all contracts remain pending at the DOH or with the “czars.” These are “on hold” or “under review.” There is also another requirement, the FDA approval, which should only take a maximum of two weeks but months have passed and it is still pending.)
Marcos said this can be considered as “criminal delay” as the bureaucracy puts more lives at stake.
On Wednesday, Galvez had explained that vaccine manufacturers are no longer interested with the tripartite agreements as this has become “complicated” and the coordination become “too messy.”
He said vaccine manufacturers Sinovac, Pfizer and Gamaleya “intend to prioritize” the orders made by the national government considering the limited jab supply.
Moderna and AstraZeneca are no longer accepting orders for “first wave” vaccines through the multi-party agreements for the time being.
On the other hand, J&J and Sinopharm are currently not open to multi-party agreements as provided under Republic Act 11525 or the COVID-19 Vaccination Program Act of 2021.
Previously, Zubiri filed a resolution seeking a Senate probe into the LGUs’ tripartite agreements for the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines as “almost all” have not been signed and put “on hold.”
Apart from the lawmakers, Cavite Governor Jonvic Remulla also expressed frustration on the delayed delivery of COVID-19 vaccines in his province.
League of Provinces president Marinduque Governor Presbitero Velasco Jr. earlier said that some LGUs have deferred the signing of tripartite deals for COVID-19 vaccine supply over delivery issues.
In January, President Rodrigo Duterte approved a recommendation for LGUs to enter into a tripartite agreement for the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines.
Several local governments already signed deals with manufacturers for their own supply of vaccines, separate from the supply that will be provided by the national government.—AOL, GMA News
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