Malacañang welcomed the move of local government units (LGUs) to allot funds to vaccinate their constituents but told them that their program should follow the prioritization scheme set by the national government.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque made the statement after Sen. Ping Lacson said LGUs are doing what the national government failed at – acquiring COVID-19 vaccines for their constituents.

In his Thursday presser, Roque said that LGUs could not have acquired vaccines without the national government.

"Wala pong LGU na makakabili ng bakuna on their own. Kinakailangan pa rin ang national government (No LGU can get the vaccine on their own. They need the help of the national government)," he said.

Despite this, Roque welcomed the initiative of the LGUs, saying this will reduce the amount of money that the national government will borrow.

"Pagdating po sa pondo, bakit naman tayo tatanggi doon sa pondo na nilaan na sa bakuna, samantalang ang plano natin ay umutang pa para pambilig ng bakuna (When it comes to funding, why will we reject their move to allot funds when it was our plan to borrow money to buy vaccines)?" he said.

"Siyempre po, money talks. Kung nandiyan naman ang pera nila at nilalaan nila 'yan para sa bakuna, bakit naman hihindi ang national government (Of course, money talks. If they have the money for vaccines, why would the national government thumb it down)?" he added.

Priorities

However, Roque said LGUs should still follow the priority list of vaccine recipients set by the national government and the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.

"’Yung mandato naman kung paano iro-roll-out, 'yan po ay desisyon pa rin ng national government at IATF. Lahat po ng LGUs kinaailangang sumunod (The implementation of the vaccination program is the decision of the government and the IATF. All LGUs must follow)," he said.

Roque said LGUs should follow the geographical and sectoral priority scheme of the national government.

Geographical priority entails that the highest number of COVID-19 cases should get the vaccine first. Meanwhile, the sectoral priority is medical frontliners should be vaccinated first, to be followed by indigent senior citizens, other senior citizens, crucial workers, and the men and women in uniform.

In Metro Manila, these LGUs have allocated vaccine funds as of Thursday:

Caloocan City: P125 million
Makati City: P1 billion
Malabon City: P200 million
Mandaluyong City: P200 million
City of Manila: P250 million
Marikina City: P82.7 million
Muntinlupa City: P170 million
Navotas City: P20 million
Parañaque City: P250 million
Pasay City: P250 million
Pasig City: P300 million
Quezon City: P1 billion
San Juan City: P50 million
Taguig City: P1 billion
Valenzuela City: P150 million