House Committee on Health chairwoman Quezon Rep. Angelina “Helen” Tan asked the government on Sunday to prepare the funds for the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines should it become available in the global market.
She said as early as now, the national government should start looking for funds to ensure that the 107 million Filipinos have access to the vaccine.
"No. 1 one requirement , siyempre 'yung funds, 'yung pondo kasi ang vaccine naman, especially ang demand ay globally, so makikipag-agawan tayo sa ibang bansa. Mahalaga at this time napro-project na natin, kung paano natin pinaghandaan, for example ang Social Amelioration Program na walang maiiwan, especially the vulnerable sectors. So ngayon pa lang hinahanda na natin, nakakapaghanda tayo (The No. 1 requirement is definitely funds, there will be global demand for vaccine, so we will compete with other countries. It is important that at this time, we already have our own projection, the way we prepared, for example, Social Amelioration Program that no one will be left behind, especially the vulnerable sectors. As early as now, we should prepare for it, we started our preparations)," she said in an interview over DZBB.
She urged the government to gauge whether or not it has the capacity to provide the vaccines to all Filipinos and determine the sectors who will first receive the COVID-19 vaccination.
"Kung talagang ang madevelop na vaccine ay puwedeng ibigay sa kahit anong edad, lahat siyempre gustong makakuha ng bakuna, pero kaya ba natin na magbigay nang sabay sabay? Darating ang pagkakataon na may kailangan kang unahin at may iprioritize ka (If a vaccine that will be developed can be given to all ages, given that all wanted to avail it, can you simultaneously give it to all? There comes a point that you have to prioritize)," Tan said.
"So ngayon, dapat sila, duon sa atin sa Executive, tinitingnan na 'yan so that dumating ang panahon na available na, implementation na lang, ready na tayo hindi 'yung kelan dumating saka maghahanap tayo pondo, sino makakatangap, ilan sila, things like that (So now, the Executive should look into it so that once the vaccine becomes available, we just focus on the implementation, we are ready, we shouldn't scramble for funds when the vaccine is already here, identify those who will receive, how many of them, things like that)," she said.
The House leader said the government should now manage the people's expectations, considering that all would like to avail the vaccine to protect themselves from the dreaded disease.
"I am sure it will create chaos, dahil lahat ng tao may clamor na gusto nilang magpabakuna dahil gustung gusto natin na lumabas talaga (All have clamor to have themselves vaccinated) . 'Yung fear na nararamadaman ng tao sa COVID (The fear being felt by the people due to COVID) dahil nga ang binabanggit ay (because it was mentioned) hindi tayo babalik sa normal hangga't walang bakuna (we will not return to normalcy until there is no vaccine). Once na magkaroon ng available (the vaccine is made available), that is another story we have to manage the expectation ng mga tao (of the people)," she said.