The government is not playing favorites when it comes to the distribution of coronavirus vaccines to Metro Manila and several other areas, Malacañang assured the public Wednesday
Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque explained the government has prioritized 19 cities and provinces for swift vaccination at the moment based on factors such as high cases of coronavirus, population density and economic activity.
The initial areas given vaccine access priority are Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, Metro Davao, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Pampanga, Batangas, and Rizal. The priority list was recently expanded to cover 10 additional urban cities, namely Bacolod, Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro, Baguio, Zamboanga, Dumaguete, Tuguegarao, General Santos, Naga, and Legazpi.
"Mayroon po kasing siyensiya behind this. Hindi naman po favoritism for favoritism’s sake, hindi po iyan (There is science behind this. It's not favoritism for favoritism's sake. It is not) favoritism because of the economic activity alone," Roque said during a televised press conference Wednesday, June 30.
In justifying the government's vaccination priority, he recognized that National Capital Region plus 8 remained the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak. He admitted the country could curb the virus spread if it could contain the case spike in Metro Manila and the surrounding areas through vaccination.
"Consistent naman po iyong science: Lutasin mo, magkaroon ka ng containment sa Metro Manila Plus 8 ay magkakaroon ka rin ng containment sa buong Pilipinas (The science is consistent. Solve or reach containment in Metro Manila plus 8 and you will have containment in the entire Philippines)," he said.
The quantity of vaccines sent to the priority areas however will still depend on the delivery of the supply in the country, Roque added.
READ: Gov’t adds 10 cities in vaccine priority list
Based on government data, the country has received more than 17.4 million doses of coronavirus vaccines, including the 1 million Sinovac jabs and 249,600 Moderna shots.
Of the 10 million doses administered, more than 2.5 million people have been fully vaccinated so far. The government aims to reach "population protection" before the end of the year by inoculating 40 to 50 percent of the population in the priority areas.
President Duterte recently declared the government will use all assets, including military aircraft and boats, to bring the vaccines to the far-flung areas.
As of June 30, the country has recorded 1.4 million cases of coronavirus, including 24,662 deaths. Metro Manila and several other areas remained under stricter quarantine rules until mid-July to stem the spread of the virus.
READ: Military to deliver COVID vaccines to far-flung areas — Duterte