No more excuses, please!
The delay in the COVID-19 Vaccination Program has been attributed to bureaucratic obstacles. Whether the bureaucracy is indeed one of the major factors why the Philippines lags in the race for herd immunity will be uncovered as President Duterte has already signed into law the Vaccination Program Act of 2021.
Although many local government units (LGUs) have officially announced the procurement of vaccines for their constituents, none of them has started to inoculate even a single resident in their locality because there is no vaccine available yet. The government cannot comply with the requirement of vaccine manufacturers for advanced payment since the current procurement law does not allow it. Under the new law, local government units are authorized to make advance payments if required by the supplier, manufacturer, or distributor. LGUs also are now allowed to purchase COVID-19 vaccines and ancillary supplies and services in cooperation with the DOH and NTF through multiparty agreements.
Under the new law, the Department of Health (DOH) and the National Task Force against COVID-19 (NTF) are authorized to resort to negotiated procurement of COVID-19 vaccines as well as the ancillary supplies and services for their storage, transport, and distribution. This removes the tedious and long process of public bidding in the procurement of the vaccines.
Another important feature of the law is the provision for a P500-million indemnity fund for individuals who will experience adverse effects after getting the vaccine. The provision is in compliance with the requirement of vaccine manufacturers for an indemnity fund to cover damages that a person may experience from the vaccination.
Congress has done its share in passing laws that will remove the stumbling blocks in the vaccination program. Any further delays can no longer be blamed on red tape or bureaucracy but on the incompetence and, perhaps, the corrupt practices of our public officials. No more excuses, please!