Govt urged to create ‘special team’ to assist firms in vaccine acquisition

LAWMAKERS on Thursday urged the Department of Health (DOH) and the National Task Force Against Covid-19 (NTF) to relax the conditions they had set for the private sector in the procurement of their own Covid-19 vaccines, saying it is premature to assume that the industries would use the vaccines it intends to acquire to promote their products.

Rep. Ronnie Ong of the Ang Probinsyano Party-list said that while it is provided under Republic Act 11525 or Covid-19 Vaccination Program Act of 2021 that private entities may procure vaccines for the exclusive use of their employees, it also requires them to enter into a tripartite agreement with the DOH and NTF and the vaccine supplier.

This provision in the RA 11525 is now causing some snag on the initiative of private companies to procure their own vaccines, Ong said, as he claimed that he had received reports that some companies which expressed intention to procure their own anti-covid jabs are being given the runaround by the DOH and NTF.

Ong said while he understands the need to ensure the safety and the efficacy of the vaccines that are administered to all Filipinos which explains the provision to require the DOH and the NTF to facilitate private sector procurement, the government should make sure that this is done smoothly and expeditiously.

Team

ONG also recommended that the DOHNTF should create a team that will be tasked to facilitate all private sector procurement and ensure the immediate delivery of their procured vaccines. Ong also the brainchild of the proposal to create a vaccine passport, which is now called the “vaccine card.”

“Since it would take time to repeal or introduce amendments to RA 11525, it might be best that the NTF would create a special team that would take care of all private sector procurement,” Ong said.

According to Ong, the task of the DOH and the NTF should be able to help the private sector get their vaccines without delay instead of becoming an unnecessary obstruction to the private sector’s desire to vaccinate their employees and bring back normalcy to their operation.

“The future of our economy depends on the private sector which is our country’s main economic engine. We have to help them get back on their feet the soonest possible time,” Ong said.

Last week, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry urged the government to allow the private sector to procure Covid-19 vaccines directly from accredited sources without restrictions or conditions.

The PCCI complained that their effort to vaccinate their own employees is being stymied by the tripartite provision in RA 11525.

Premature

DEPUTY Speaker for Trade and Industry and Valenzuela First District Rep. Wes Gatchalian, for his part, said it is premature to assume that companies manufacturing tobacco and infant formula products will use the Covid-19 vaccines to promote their products.

Gatchalian was reacting to the statement of local World Health Organization (WHO) representative Rabindra Abeyasinghe who said the proposed exclusion of those companies was due to the concern that vaccines they would be procuring and distributing could be used to promote their products.

“At this time when we have to win against a pandemic that has caused numerous lives and continues to negatively impact the ability of the Filipino people to work, to go to school, to see their families, we need to unite and make sure no one is left behind and discriminated upon,” Gatchalian said.

“It is premature at this point to assume that these companies may use the vaccines to promote their products. Let me call the attention of the WHO representative to Section 5 of Republic Act 11525 wherein it is clear that the vaccines to be procured are for the exclusive use of such companies,” he added.

The lawmaker said that given the scarcity of the vaccines, a more reasonable and realistic assumption is that these companies will prioritize their employees and the families of their employees.

“Even if they had already incurred huge losses because of the pandemic, they are still prioritizing the welfare of their employees by ordering their own supply of vaccines. And by doing so, they are lessening the burden of the national government by not requesting for allocation,” he said.

Gatchalian said that at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, while many companies have closed, many of them remained open so they can continue to help their work force provide for their families and pay taxes to contribute to the provision of government services despite the pandemic.

“My appeal to public health authorities like WHO whose expertise we greatly value in advising us policymakers and regulatory officials is to set aside certain assumptions they have about certain companies and help us as a nation make sure that no one is left behind,” Gatchalian said.

Meanwhile, Gatchalian lauded Malacañang’s announcement that all private companies, including manufacturers of tobacco, may procure vaccines against Covid-19 through a tripartite agreement with the national government.