BREAKING: Many news reports have given details about the looming COVID-19 vaccine that could possibly be the end of our year-long pandemic.
As a matter of fact, there have been a lot of discussions going on; from our country not being eligible for the vaccine because of certain instances – to certain ties and loyalties in terms of where we will get it.
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With that, a few cities in Metro Manila made announcements about the the plans on procuring and purchasing COVID-19 vaccines.
Cities That Announced COVID-19 Vaccine Projects
Without further ado, here are the Metro Manila cities that announced the free online registration for their COVID-19 vaccines.
Pasig City
The ever-famous Pasig City Mayor, Vico Sotto, said that their city's budget for 2021 is around P300 million; this is already allotted for the purchasing and the acquisition of the coronavirus vaccines.
If you thought that the Mayor was talking about the Department of Health's (DOH) provision, think again. The budget he's talking about is for what they'll buy and purchase to distribute to Pasig City citizens.
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He then gave reassurance to the public that he and his administration will do what they can to give citizens what they deserve.
Kung ilan po ang available sa market, kung ilan ang kaya ng budget natin, gagawin po natin. I assure everyone that we will be very transparent with our procurement process once may presyo na, kung ilan, anong brand."
In Translation: We will purchase the amount we can get from the market using our budget. I am assuring everyone that we'll be transparent with everything – from the procurement process, the amount of vaccines, the price, the number of vaccines purchase, as well as the brand.
Makati City
If Pasig City has a P300 million budget for the COVID-19 vaccine projects, Makati City Mayor Abby Binay said that they have a budget of P1 billion pesos.
What's good about this is that Mayor Binay said that the vaccine will soon be for free for Makati City citizens.
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Mayor Abby Binay put her team and her administration the task of establishing an online registration system to identify Makati City citizens and for them to get the vaccine for free.
Manila City
Manila City Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso said that he, together with his government, is launching a free online registration for the COVID-19 vaccine.
As a matter of fact, they already have set up the registration platform where citizens can sign up and pre-register for the COVID-19 vaccine!
Are you a Manileño? Do you yearn to get the free COVID-19 vaccine for you and your family?
Here's a brief guide on how to access the free Manila City COVID-19 vaccine registration form:
- Visit ManilaCOVID19Vaccine.com
- Input all of the required personal information, which includes:
- Complete Name
- Birthdate
- Mobile (Contact Number)
- Gender
- Home Address
- City and Area
- Barangay
- Lastly, there are several questions about your status and condition for the past few days and weeks, in connection to the infamous COVID-19 virus
Mayor Isko Moreno said that they were able to sign an agreement with both AstraZeneca and Pfizer to get and source the vaccine. Moreover, the estimated budget that the city has allotted for the vaccine procurement is around P250 million.
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However, the City Mayor said that both of these brands haven't still gotten approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
San Juan City
Mayor Francis Zamora, Mayor of San Juan City said that residents from his city will be able to undergo a free COVID-19 registration.
In order for everything to be better, easier, and more convenient, citizens can choose to register by visiting the health centers and barangay halls.
Zamora said that San Juan City's budget has an allocation of about P50 million for the COVID-19 vaccine. It might not be a lot, but it's still something people can really look forward to.
Quezon City
Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte said that they're looking at a budget of P1 billion for the vaccine.
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Joseph Juico, the co-chair of Quezon City's IATF, made a mention that the government is preparing a budget to assist the national government when it comes to the purchasing and the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine.
We would like them to know that Quezon City government would be setting aside a budget for procurement to help the national government because I know it’s a daunting task."
Valenzuela City
In Valenzuela City, Mayor Rex Gatchalian had said that they wouldn't bypass the national government's choices and options when it comes to the vaccine.
Similar to Makati, Gatchalian said that Valenzuela City is ready and is prepared to have shares when it comes to the purchasing and the procurement of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Echoing Makati City Mayor Abby Binay, LGUs shall assist and fully complement what the national government will do. In addition to that, he also said that his city is prepared to shell out funds in order to provide necessary vaccines to his citizens.
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I agree with Mayor Binay that the LGU will complement and supplement whatever the national government will be doing. We don’t mind putting aside funds [out of the city’s pocket] so we can get better terms for the COVID-19 vaccine that will be provided."
Mandaluyong City
Mandaluyong City, one of the largest and the most versatile cities in Metro Manila, has also given their take on their COVID-19 vaccine projects.
In their COVID-19 vaccine procurement efforts, they made it clear that they wouldn't just rely on the national government for it.
Mayor Carmelita Abalos said that they have already set aside the budget they need to help and assist the national government.
As per the Mayor, Mandaluyong City's COVID-19 vaccine projects are budgeted to be around P200 million. This would be enough to cover about 35 to 40% of the city's population.
Ang alam ko, ang inallot natin dito is P200 million for the vaccine. Kaya 200 million ang inilaan natin to cover up ‘yung 40 percent ng ating population para lahat mabakuhanan."
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In Translation: As far as I know, we have a budget of around P200 million for the vaccine. This is because we plan on covering up the remaining 40% of Mandaluyong City's population; helping everyone get the vaccine.
While all preparations seem pleasant, several critics have seen this move to be "incompetent" because of the latency of it.
As a matter of fact, our neighbors here in Southeast Asia have already overtaken the race. We're falling behind a couple of steps as some countries have already rolled out their plans on COVID-19 vaccine procurement.
Nevertheless, Metro Manila cities' COVID-19 vaccine projects are on the way and are for the betterment and the improvement of the handling and the management of COVID-19 in the country.
Several COVID-19 vaccine projects are at large – the Philippine government is always prepared to give us the support we need!
Source/s: The Philippine Daily Inquirer | ABS-CBN News
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