National Task Force (NTF) against COVID-19 Chief Implementer and vaccine czar Sec. Carlito Galvez Jr. asserted that the authorities are not delaying the tripartite agreement and deliveries of the COVID-19 vaccine.
In President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s Talk to the People on Tuesday (Aug. 24), Sec. Galvez said there are vaccine manufacturers that refuse to take new orders while some prioritize transactions from the national government only.
“Hindi po namin hino-hold ‘yung tripartite agreement, hindi po namin dini-delay. May mga nakikita po kami na may possibility na ma-violate po ‘yung national — tinatawag na Procurement Program Act natin. Kaya ang ginagawa po namin talaga naghi-higpit po kami,” he explained.
He said that some manufacturers are “not interested” in a multi-party agreement because they only want to communicate with only one representative.
“Ang unang ano po reason po is marami pong mga manufacturer hindi po interested sa multi-party agreement kasi gusto nila isa lang ang kausap. Sabi kasi nila pagka maraming kausap, it will entail an enlargement of their personnel, at saka medyo napakahirap ng logistical [service], kasi kumbaga sa ano, lahat ng LGU, kung 300 ang LGU, sila po ang mag-aasikaso po ng delivery po na ‘yun,” Galvez explained.
Galvez also assured that more vaccine supplies will arrive in the Philippines in the next few days.
“Nag-order po tayo ng [additional] 10 million doses of Sinovac. At ito po maganda po ito, ito po ay mababa po ang presyo kaysa sa original price niya. And then ano po, nag-usap na po kami ng country director ng ano, ng Pfizer. At ang window nila sa September ay makapagbibigay sila ng more or less 5,020,000 na Pfizer this coming September,” he disclosed.
Report from Mela Lesmoras/NGS-bny
