Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., Malacañang’s vaccine czar, again assured that Bacolod City is one of the priority cities of the national government for vaccine distribution.
“Don’t worry because Bacolod City is our priority after Cebu City and afterwards, Iloilo City,” Galvez told the virtual special general assembly of the League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP), led by Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia as national president, Thursday, February 4.
“All the highly urbanized cities (HUCs) are priorities; we will not leave anyone behind,” Galvez added.
In November last year, Galvez, who is also the chief implementer of the National Task Force Against COVID-19, had informed Leonardia via text message that Bacolod is among the local government units in the country poised to first receive the COVID-19 vaccine in case the national government gets a hold of its supply, a press release from the Bacolod Public Information Office said today, February 5.
The LCP held a special assembly with Galvez and Michael Aguinaldo, chair of the Commission on Audit (COA), for an orientation on the COA guidance for the availment of COVID-19 vaccines by cities.
Galvez said their strategy is to have more than what is needed in case a slippage happens in the production of the vaccines and to avoid competing with other countries as well.
LGUs must let the national government procure the necessary vaccines so that they can focus on the vaccination campaign and the implementation of the vaccination plan, he said.
“It’s much better if you focus on the implementation and inoculation on our citizens,” Galvez said.
Before the COVID-19 vaccines reach the LGUs, transactions between their manufacturers and the national government must be done first.
Aguinaldo, in giving guidance to the city mayors, said: “I had to issue notes on the guidelines on the auditors to remind them that we are still under a pandemic situation and that they should always consider that in conducting the audit.”
Leonardia told Aguinaldo that LCP would prefer that the national government will do the negotiations and procurement with the vaccine companies while the LGUs will simply reimburse the national government. Aguinaldo expressed openness to the proposition but suggested that everybody should wait for what exactly will be the final arrangements, the press release said.*