By Christine Fabro
President Rodrigo Duterte has approved the release of ₱2.5 billion from this year’s contingency fund for vaccine procurement and logistical support to prevent further delays in the country’s vaccine rollout program.
The government earlier said that ₱82.5 billion was allocated to COVID-19 vaccination program, ₱70 billion of which was set aside to procure vaccines and the other ₱12.5 billion shall be used for its ancillary and logistical requirements, said Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Wendel Avisado in a Laging Handa public briefing on Saturday (June 5).
“Kailangang kumuha sa contingency fund dahil talagang kulang ang pondo natin.”
The ₱2.5 billion (US $56 million) draw is chargeable against the 2021 contingency fund, said Avisado, adding that “this amount will cover the payment of around 4 million doses of vaccines and its corresponding administrative and logistical course.”
The Budget secretary said a special allotment order and notice of cash allocation has been issued to the Department of Health for the vaccine procurement.
“Madaling sabi, hindi lang po talaga ₱82.5 billion ang gagastusin natin ngayong taon para sa pagbili ng vaccines kaya nga ba pati contingency fund ay kailangan nang gamitin,” he said.
In this year’s national budget, the government has allocated ₱13 billion in contingency funds to cover the funding requirements of new and urgent measures and activities among the projects of the national government that shall be implemented or paid within 2021.
Out of the ₱70 billion allocation of vaccine procurement, the DBM has released ₱59.9 billion to the DOH to finance loan agreements with multilateral institutions such as the Asia Development Bank, World Bank, and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.
However, Avisado said that the funds will not go directly to the national government, except for the funding for the local government units (LGUs) and government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) which will be under the Bureau of Treasury. – rir
