The national government is making significant developments in enabling the country to manufacture its own vaccines against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and it may be realized as soon as 2022.

Restituto Padilla Jr., spokesperson of the National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19, said Sunday, Aug. 22, that the local manufacturing of COVID-19 vaccines is part of the long-term and medium-term planning of the task force headed by vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr.

"May long-term at medium-term planning din tayo. Ano ito? Ang pagkakaroon ng sapat na kakayahan sa loob ng bansa na suportahan ang pangangailangan ng bakuna para hindi na tayo nag-aangkat. Ito ang local manufacturing capability (We have long-term and medium-term planning. What are those? One of which is having the local capability to support our needs for vaccines without importing them. This is called local manufacturing capability)," Padilla said in a radio interview over dzBB.

Once the establishment of vaccine manufacturing hubs are completed, the NTF spokesman said it will be a big help to ramp up the vaccination in the country as he described the national inoculation program as a "race against time" amid the emergence of highly transmissible variants such as the Delta.

"Kapag nagawa natin ito, hindi na tayo nakaasa sa kakayahan ng manufacturers sa labas ng bansa na magdala. Iyon ang strengths ng America at India dahil may local manufacturing capabilities sila (If we accomplish this, we will no longer be reliant on the capability of foreign manufacturers to bring vaccines to us. These are the strengths of America and India which have local manufacturing capabilities)," said the retired general.

At present, the government is relying on the vaccines that it procured from foreign manufacturers and from the donations of other nations. Sometimes, the country's supply is affected by the delays in delivery due to the high global demand.

Around 170 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines were secured by the government from various sources this 2021, of which, 48.5 million doses have been delivered.

On-going negotiations

According to Padilla, there were several vaccine manufacturers that have already been in talks with Galvez for the local manufacturing of COVID-19 vaccines.

"Mayroon na tayong ilang manufacturers na nasa advanced stages na ng negosasyon (We have several manufacturers that are already in the advanced stages of negotiation). Mayroong isang natapos na ang negosasyon at nagsisimula na (We have one that is already done with the negotiation and starting) to lay the ground work to start the manufacturing capability in the country," he revealed.

He, however, refused to divulge what brands of vaccines are involved in the deal, citing a non-disclosure agreement between the government and the manufacturers.

"Mayroong non-disclosure agreement kaya hindi pa mapapangalanan hangga't hindi pa pinal ang kasunduan (There is a non-disclosure agreement that's why we cannot give the brand names until the deal is not yet final)," Padilla said.

Included in the advanced planning stages are the location as to where the manufacturing warehouses will be established.

Among the considered locations are those near airports for the easy transportation of the vaccines to other regions across the country.

"Magsisimula na next year ang pagsetup ng manufacturing areas. Ibig sabihin, ngayon nag-u-usap na kung saan ilalagay. Ang isa mayroon nang kasunduan kung saan ilo-locate (Next year, the talks for the setting-up of the manufacturing areas will begin. This means that there are discussions right now to determine where they will be put-up. One of them has struck a deal where it will be located)," Padilla said.

The government will then start importing the necessary equipment and other capacities to rollout the facilities.