The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) clarified that the local government units’ procurement of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine is merely an “augmentation”.
According to DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya, the national government will still lead the vaccine procurement for the Filipinos with a budget of ₱82.5B for this purpose.
Malaya pointed out that it is the decision of the LGUs to buy a vaccine that will only be supplemental in case that the vaccine provided by the national government will not reach their constituents. However, the procurement must still undergo the screening of the national government to ensure its safety and effectiveness. – Report from Kenneth Paciente
