By Alec Go
Several local government units (LGUs) have not been able to submit their daily COVID-19 vaccination records to the Vaccine Operating Reporting System, an official said Thursday (Nov. 4).
Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) USec. Jonathan Malaya said in the Laging Handa briefing that the submission is under the policy of the National Vaccine Operation Center (NVOC).
“Dahil nga po sa delay na ito, mayroon po tayong mga 10 milyong vaccination data ang hindi pa uploaded doon sa system,” Malaya said, adding that this prompted DILG Sec. Eduardo Año to include reporting as an LGU’s responsibility.
Malaya said the DILG might issue show-cause orders on the matter, pending the names of the local governments who have yet to update their data.
Among the cited issues on vaccine rollout are hesitancy and preference of Western COVID-19 vaccine brands over the others, with several individuals still waiting for Pfizer despite the availability of American-developed Moderna shots.
There are also challenges in the vaccine transport from the local government’s central office to the barangays.
President Rodrigo Duterte said in his Nov. 3 public address that he has ordered the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to support vaccine delivery and resource mobility.
He also directed the DILG chief “to impose the necessary sanction against LGUs and local chief executives who are not performing nor using the doses given to them in a most expeditious manner.”
“Ang dapat lang pagdating doon eh talagang nandoon na ‘yung mga tao. The human resource side would be ready to do the injections. Kung sakali mangyari ito, I hope that the local governments, the mayors, would take time really to attend to this problem of delay,” he said.
Meanwhile, Malaya said the government will not stop allocating vaccines to LGUs under investigation regarding vaccine wastage, but clarified that they will not be given additional doses before having administered all their supply.
“We are giving them some time to be able to reach that [daily] target. Kung makita po namin na talagang hindi gumagalaw iyong target, diyan na po natin masasabi na mayroong kapabayaan,” he said.
“Siguro po in the next few weeks ay makakapagsabi na ang DILG kung mayroon ngang mga LGUs na kailangan isyuhan ng show-cause order at makasuhan for negligence or misconduct,” he added. -rir
Watch the full interview here:
