Manila Bulletin
Palace nudges Congress to amend procurement law, speed up vaccine rollout
The Palace is confident Congress will approve amendments to the Government Procurement Law to allow local government units (LGUs) to purchase COVID-19 vaccines.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque stated that legislative action is needed because the current procurement law prohibits advance payments before delivery, which some pharmaceutical firms require.
Roque mentioned that the Senate and the House of Representatives have received proposals to amend the law, and Vaccine Czar Carlito Galvez Jr. is working on a draft certification to make the bill urgent.
He also noted that a significant portion of the P82-billion budget for vaccine procurement comes from international financial institutions like the Asian Development Bank, World Bank, and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.
The national government assures it will not hinder LGUs' initiatives to secure vaccines for their residents.
Roque anticipates that allowing advance payments will increase the overall supply of COVID-19 vaccines available in the country.
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House Bill 8648, filed by Speaker Lord Allan Velasco and others, seeks to allow local government units (LGUs) to directly purchase COVID-19 vaccines from manufacturers.
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The House Committee on Ways and Means has approved tax exemptions for COVID-19 vaccines to be directly purchased by local government units (LGUs).
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President Rodrigo Duterte signed Presidential Memorandum 51 allowing local government units (LGUs) to make advance payments of up to 50 percent for COVID-19 vaccine procurement.
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Senator Bong Go will urge President Rodrigo Duterte to certify the proposed COVID-19 Vaccine Indemnification Fund Law as urgent.
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President Rodrigo Duterte has certified as urgent the proposed law establishing an indemnification fund for adverse effects from COVID-19 vaccines, which is a requirement for the Philippines to receive vaccines from the COVAX facility.
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