The Department of Health (DOH) welcomed the designation of National Task Force Against COVID-19 Chief Implementer Carlito Galvez Jr. as the country's “vaccine czar.”
"The Department of Health expresses its support on the appointment of Sec. Carlito Galvez as the vaccine czar," the DOH said in a brief statement on Tuesday, November 3.
The department said that it will cooperate with Galvez to ensure that the Philippines will have access to COVID-19 vaccines once it becomes available.
"We look forward to working closely with him in the rollout of a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine and we will jointly ensure that it is made accessible to all Filipinos," the DOH said.
The new role of Galvez was announced by President Duterte during a Cabinet meeting on Monday, November 2.
“As I have said earlier during the start of the COVID, I only want one line of authority coming from the Task Force sa pagbili ng bakuna (in the purchase of the vaccine), the negotiation, manufacture, negotiation, production or distribution is ibinigay ko ‘yan kay (I gave it to) Secretary Galvez. So, only Secretary Galvez is authorized to negotiate or whatever,” said Duterte.
“I have great faith in Charlie to really come up with the solutions for the problem,” he added.
Previously, the administration has also designated other czars to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic., namely Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong as tracing czar, Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar as isolation czar, DOH Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega as treatment czar, and Bases and Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) President and CEO Vince Dizon as testing czar.