Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go said that the government had already set aside funds for the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines and is looking to secure additional funding to expand the immunization program. 

Go, chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, reiterated President Duterte’s statements that the poor and vulnerable sectors as well as medical frontliners and members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP) would be prioritized under the government’s plan to allocate COVID-19 vaccines once made available. 

Go, speaking after the turnover of newly acquired fire trucks and firefighting equipment in Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, said that while there are funds set aside for the purchase of vaccines, the Duterte administration is looking for finance managers for additional funding in case this is not enough. 

“Ulitin ko lang po, pag mayroon na hong vaccine na available at once declared na safe na po itong iturok sa tao ay uunahin po ni Pangulo Duterte ‘yung mga mahihirap. Unahin ni Pangulong Duterte ‘yung mga sundalo, ‘yung mga frontliners, at ‘yung mga vulnerable sector para po makabalik na sila sa kanilang mga trabaho at sa normal na pamumuhay (President Duterte said that once the vaccine is declared safe, the first to be vaccinated would be the poor, soldiers, frontliners, and those in the vulnerable sectors so that they would be able to return to their work and to their normal lives),” he said. 

Go added that a budget has also been provided for the country’s participation in the clinical trials.