Lapu-Lapu City to purchase P26M worth of COVID-19 vaccines

Lapu-Lapu City Councilor Rico Amores

LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu – The Lapu-Lapu City Council has approved the disbursement of P26 million for the purchase of coronavirus disease vaccines.

Councilor Rico Amores said this is the first time that the city is buying its own vaccine supply to augment the supply coming from the national government.

The P26 million allocation is part of the P183.2 million allocation which the City Council authorized for disbursement through the passage of a resolution during their session on Thursday, August 12.

It will be taken from the P104 million allocation for the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines that was approved earlier.  The balance of P78 million will remain in city coffers and ready for use in future vaccine purchases.

The 183.2 million allocation will be spent on programs and purchases that were earlier identified under the city’s Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund Investment Plan (LDRRMFIP) that was prepared by the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office and endorsed by Mayor Junard Chan.

Amores said that as of July 30, over 30 percent of the Oponganons already received their COVID-19 jabs.  majority of these already had their first dose while 9.5 percent already completed their vaccine.

More Oponganons are expected to receive their jabs as soon as the city gets additional vaccine supply.

Other items that were included in the approved resolution are as follows:

• P16.8 for purchase of 14 emergency transport vehicles for COVID-19 contact tracing swab teams and all-hazard response for barangays.
• P8.4 million for the purchase of a multi-purpose vehicle for City Hall offices and barangays
• P7.2 million for the purchase and installation of community water and fire fighting system
• P6 million for the purchase of one unit fire water tender with a capacity of 4,000 liters and portable high-pressure pump, fire fighting tools including personal protective equipment (PPEs)
• P4 million for the purchase of two units of ambulances for the city’s barangays
• P2.5 million for the purchase of one unit brand new and six units of wheel multi-purpose transport vehicle
• P2.7 million for the purchase of rainwater catchment tank for islet barangays
• P2 million for the purchase of patient transport vehicle for the Olango Rescue Station
• P9 million for the purchase of evacuation tents, tables, and chairs for all barangays
• P7.8 million for the purchase of one vacuum truck
• P5 million for a 10 wheeler cab and chassis plus fire pump to rehabilitate the water tanker assigned at Lapu-Lapu City Fire District
• P3 million worth of UHF/FM digital radio repeater and communication system for Nerve Command Center including concrete communication tower to be installed at City Hall complex in Olango Island
• P2 million for a response vehicle (pick-up) for the Olango Station
• P1.5 million for the construction of perimeter fence around the COVID-19 temporary treatment monitoring facility for mild and asymptomatic patients; among others.

“Duna po’y allowance sa mga medical frontliners who actually serve sa mga COVID patients. If I made my research right that’s P5,000 one time payment sa tanang medical frontliners,” Amores added.

The approved disbursement also includes an allocation for the establishment of a new isolation facility at the Mactan National High School, the hiring of doctors and nurses, and the purchase of CCTV cameras to be installed in the facility. / dcb