MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte has approved recommendations for the Philippines to provide early payments and enter into advance supply agreements to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine producers, said his spokesperson Harry Roque.
“Pumayag na po tayo na magkakaroon po tayo ng advance, kasi kapag hindi po tayo pumayag baka mangulelat doon sa mga bansa na makakuha ng vaccines,” he said in a virtual press conference on Thursday.
“Noong nakita po niya ang listahan ng mga bansang nag–a-advance payment, hindi naman tayo magpapahuli basta meron naman tayong pondo,” the Palace spokesperson added.
Roque furthered that the country’s chief executive also approved various modes of financing, including private-public tripartite agreements without cost to the government and the emergency use of COVID-19 vaccines.
“An executive order will be issued to allow the emergency use of the vaccines,” Roque said.
Meanwhile, Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) Director General and Health Undersecretary Eric Domingo said manufacturers of at least five potential COVID-19 vaccine products have expressed interest to conduct clinical trials in the Philippines.
Domingo said one of these potential vaccines, China’s Sinovac, has already been cleared by the vaccine expert panel of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and is currently under FDA’s evaluation.
“Ito ay ini-evaluate natin ngayon at mukhang kaunting panahon na lang naman siguro at may ibang requirement na lang ang hinihingi natin para ma-approve natin ang clinical trial na ‘to,” Domingo said during Laging Handa virtual presser.
In October, the DOST said Sputnik V, Janssen, Sinovac, and COVAX have expressed intent to undergo clinical trials in the country.
The Philippines plans to purchase an initial 50 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines for at least 25 million Filipinos next year. Priority will be given to the poor, security forces, government frontline workers and healthcare workers./PN
