NEVER ENOUGH
PH COVID-19 vaccine fund, P70B short; Solon, still ‘optimistic’
Despite the prior agreement on the bicameral talks to earmark P72.5 billion for the COVID-19 vaccines in the proposed national 2021 budget, only P2.5 billion could be immediately funded, wherein most of the grant has been lodged in standby funds as it is heavily based on foreign borrowings.
According to Senate Finance Panel Chair Senator Juan Edgardo Angara, the Senate and House leaders have settled on placing P70 billion of the COVID-19 vaccine budget under unprogrammed appropriations.
In contrast to regular budgetary items with definite funding, unprogrammed appropriations can only be financed depending on excess tax collections availability, new revenue sources, or by international or multilateral agencies debt.
Along with the regular budget accorded to the Department of Health (DOH), a separate P2.5-billion item was appropriated for the agency’s program on the still largely unavailable vaccine, Angara added.
DOUBLE DOSAGE
With the need of inoculating 70 million Filipinos for “herd immunity” which refers to the level of protection from disease enjoyed by a population once enough people had been vaccinated, Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto emphasized that the allocation may also not be enough to vaccinate even half of the 70-million target.
Based on the Department of Finance’s (DOF) cost estimate of $25, or P1,200, per complete dose, the P72.5-billion fund can buy more than 60 million doses of the vaccine.
However, Recto noted that each citizen would need at least two doses to be fully immunized in accordance with the recent successful trials conducted by various pharmaceutical companies.
“Unfortunately, the amount may not be enough to inoculate at least 70 percent of our population,” he revealed to the Inquirer.
‘OPTIMISTIC’ APPROACH
Despite much of it being unprogrammed, Angara still expressed optimism that the entire COVID-19 vaccine budget would be “fully utilized” in 2021.
When asked on how the Congress will ensure the availability of funds for the unprogrammed allocation, Angara highlighted that “If you’re talking about availability of cash, that’s not for the legislative [to answer]. That’s for the executive to answer. We do not collect money.”
Such allocation was deemed lower than the Senate’s earlier proposal of P83 billion for the same purpose, which included P8 billion in programmed appropriations under DOH’s vaccine program, P54 billion for the drug purchase, and P21 billion for storage, transportation and distribution.
REFERENCES:
Mercado, N.A. “At least P72-B allocated for COVID-19 vaccine under final version of 2021 budget–Angara.” INQUIRER.net, 9 Dec. 2020. Online. Internet. 13 Dec. 2020. Available: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1369723/at-least-p72-b-allocated-for-covid-19-vaccine-under-final-version-of-2021-budget-angara.
Peralta, J. “₱72.5 B set for COVID-19 vaccines in 2021 budget, but senators lament lack of clear plan.” cnn, n.d. Online. Internet. 13 Dec. 2020. Available: https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/12/9/2021-budget-covid-vaccine.html.
Yap, D.J. “Only P2.5B out of P72.5B for COVID-19 vaccines has immediate funding.” INQUIRER.net, 10 Dec. 2020. Online. Internet. 13 Dec. 2020. Available: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1370079/only-p2-5b-out-of-p72-5b-for-covid-shots-has-immediate-funding.
