By NG Seruela
National Task Force against COVID-19 (NTF) Chief Implementer and vaccine czar Sec. Carlito Galvez Jr. gave the assurance on Wednesday (June 16) that high-risk areas in Mindanao, especially those experiencing surges in COVID-19 cases, will receive more COVID-19 vaccines.
In a statement, Galvez told lawmakers who called for a more equitable vaccine distribution in the country that with over 10 million doses expected to soon arrive in the Philippines, the regions will not be “neglected.”
“The National Task Force against COVID-19 would like to assure our honorable members of the Congress that we will not neglect the regions, especially those in Mindanao, in our vaccine deployment,” he said.
He vowed that they will immediately send more vaccines to Mindanao as soon as the rest of the vaccine deliveries arrive this month, in line with President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s directive to deploy more vaccines to various regions.
“We are getting more vaccines there very soon, and Mindanao will not be left behind. This is my promise to all Mindanaoans,” Galvez said.
As of June 14, a total of 1,735,630 vaccine doses have been delivered to Mindanao.
Galvez also recently deployed almost half a million vaccine doses to the most affected areas of Mindanao: 210,000 doses of Pfizer vaccines to Davao Region, 35,000 to Cagayan de Oro City, and additional vaccines to Dipolog, Zamboanga City, Cotabato City, Zamboanga del Sur, Gensan, Koronadal, Bukidnon, Butuan, and other affected areas of Luzon and the Visayas.
Meanwhile, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Wednesday guaranteed in an interview that the country’s vaccine supply is adequate. The country will receive 1.5 million more Sinovac doses on Thursday (June 17).
“At dahil nga po mayroon tayong darating na 1.5 million [doses] ng Sinovac bukas, masasabi na po natin na sapat-sapat naman ang supply natin, at kaya po nating magpadala ng mas maraming supply doon sa mga lugar na naka-MECQ…ngayon dahil sa pagtaas ng mga kaso,” he said. – jlo
