City mayors to meet with national execs on purchase of vaccines by LGUs

BACOLOD CITY – The national president of the League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP) has called for a virtual general assembly of city mayors on Tuesday, January 12, to meet with national officials to discuss the procurement of vaccines by local government units (LGUs).

Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia said he is expecting the vaccine czar of the National Task Force Against COVID-19 and the director general of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to attend the meeting.

Secretary Carlito Galvez, the country’s vaccine czar, has confirmed his attendance at the meeting to present the national government’s roadmap to coordinate and assist LGUs in securing the vaccines.

Galvez had met with Leonardia and the LCP Committee on Vaccine Availment on December 29 to discuss the timeline of vaccine availability based on ongoing negotiations with prospective pharmaceutical companies.

“During our talks with Secretary Galvez, he explained what vaccines will be available and the specifications of each type. Since securing vaccines is a top priority concern of all city mayors, we find it necessary that we hold this LCP general assembly for them to get first-hand information and participate in the formation of policies and procedures of the vaccine availment process,” Leonardia said.

FDA director general Rolando Enrique Domingo is also expected to attend the meeting to provide updates on the emergency use authorization (EUA) for COVID-19 vaccines.

The LCP Committee on Vaccine Availment, led by Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas, is set to push for the adoption of a resolution requesting for the LCP’s membership in the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases to ensure proper alignment of national and local vaccination efforts.

The assembly came at the heels of reports that several city mayors had already allocated budgets for the vaccines.

Leonardia, who is the mayor of Bacolod City, has allocated P300 million for his constituents’ vaccine needs.

/MUF

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