Sealing tripartite deal for vaccines
Last Thursday, 14 January 2020, the national government, local government units (LGU), the private sector and a vaccine manufacturer linked arms to secure an additional 14.5 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine for the Filipino people.
I was privileged to witness such a momentous occasion — which happened in my press briefing — where some 39 LGU signed an agreement with AstraZeneca for the purchase of vaccines through a tripartite agreement that is supported by 300 private sector companies, and backed by the national government.
Aptly called “A Dose of Hope,” the event sealed an agreement that gives Filipinos hope that this pandemic will be over soon. Under this tripartite scheme, the Philippines will be able to augment its vaccine supply and is assured of an equitable share of vaccines given the limited supply and high demand in the global market.
There are now 17 million vaccine doses that have been secured through this agreement, as the first tripartite deal in November 2020 secured 2.5 million doses of the vaccine.
Under this agreement, half of the total number of doses that the private sector will procure will be donated to the national government, while half will be used by the donor companies for their personnel and their selected beneficiaries of the vaccines.
These private sector companies, as President Rodrigo Roa Duterte said, should be commended for their dedication to support the country’s fight against Covid-19. Through the private sector’s support, more Filipinos will be able to receive the vaccine as these private companies will cover the vaccination of their employees, who may not be covered by the government’s prioritization scheme for the equitable distribution of the vaccine.
On the part of the vaccine manufacturer, AstraZeneca committed to work closely with the government and abide by the country’s vaccination regulations during the rollout of the vaccination program. The first batch of the vaccines secured in November will come in May this year, while the second batch that was secured in this recent agreement is expected in the third or fourth quarter of the year.
The LGU welcomed the agreement and acknowledged the importance of private and public sector partnership in defeating the virus. LGU executives hope that the procurement will be the start of the nation’s recovery from Covid-19.
As I have previously discussed in this column, LGU will be able to procure vaccines only through this tripartite scheme as the vaccines are procured through government-to-government transactions. Therefore, coordination among the LGU, the national government and the private sector is key to secure a deal with vaccine manufacturers.
Like what President Duterte said, this tripartite agreement is bayanihan at work for the benefit of all Filipinos. This is why the President gave his nod to this tripartite scheme in order to solidify further our supply of vaccines and to augment the deals that the national government is working on.
Truly, this initiative points positively at recovery and healing for the nation and our countrymen. Through the cooperation of a variety of stakeholders, we can be sure that Filipinos will not be left behind in terms of being protected against the coronavirus.
We only have to wait for a little more, as several doses of a vaccine will be arriving in the country beginning next month. Regardless of what critics of the national government say and despite the reservations of some with regard to vaccines and the vaccination process, the availability of a Covid-19 vaccine in the soonest possible time spells life and death for majority of Filipinos.
My fellow Filipinos, our President already gave his word that the vaccines that will be given to you are safe, secured and sure. Do not let politically motivated comments mislead you from the truth that we need to be vaccinated as soon as possible so that we can all bounce back and recover from this menace that is Covid-19.
“Availability of a Covid-19 vaccine in the soonest possible time spells life and death for majority of Filipinos.
“Through
the private sector’s support, more Filipinos will be able to receive the vaccine as these private companies will cover the vaccination of their employees.