MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte stated that the government is not neglecting some places in the deployment of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) vaccines nationwide, stressing that the country is currently dealing with a limited supply provided in the Philippines.
“Let me just assure anybody, anywhere in the Philippines that the vaccines that we are giving are for all Filipinos. It’s just a matter of priority – kaya dito sa mga hotspots gaya ng Maynila na nandito lahat yung tao so ‘yung transmission ay mas mabilis. Pero kung sabihin mo mabigyan sila, mabibigyan sila (here at the hotspots such as in Manila where many people are here, so the transmission of the virus is faster. But if they would ask if they will be given vaccines, they will receive it),” Duterte said during his pre-recorded Talk to the People on Monday night.
Duterte pledged that no places will be overlooked in vaccine distribution, but noted that the country’s vaccine supply “is not yet stable” to allow for further local deployment.
“Ang problema talaga ng Pilipinas eh wala tayong supply na maganda kasi kung meron maibigay natin sa lahat. If we have numbers – sufficient vaccines – hindi na sila maghintay, ibigay na natin kaagad (The problem in the Philippines is that we don’t have enough supply. If only we have more supply then we will give it to them. If we have sufficient vaccines then they don’t have to wait, we will give them immediately) It’s just a matter of handling. Our worry is the handling and how the efficacy of the vaccine is protected,” he said.
Duterte went on to say that the distribution will begin as soon as the bulk of the supplies will be delivered in the following months.
With limited supplies, Duterte stated that the government should prioritize high-risk locations where the deadly virus can be more infectious, particularly in densely populated areas.
“Gusto namin pagdating ibigay na kaagad, unahin lang natin yung maiinit na lugar na maraming tao (We want to distribute the vaccines after arrival, we will just prioritize those populated hotspots). More persons, more transmission. Less crowd, less transmission,” he said.
He ensured that all local government units (LGUs) will receive Covid-19 vaccines as needed.
“It’s not a matter of this national government forgetting you. We are always conscious of our duty to protect all Filipinos,” he said.
He said that the government should plan vaccine deployment accordingly.
“Kailangan natin na dahan-dahan lang. Inuuna natin yung mga maiinit na lugar tapos (We have to do it slowly and prioritize the hot spots) as the supplies come in, we are buying–we have the money,” he said.
Duterte remarked that all LGUs, especially those in remote communities, will benefit from enormous quantities of government-procured vaccines that will arrive in the coming months.
“We will see to it, I’m sure Secretary [Carlito] Galvez will see to it na darating yung mga bakuna doon Ang amin lang is ang handling niyan kung gaano kalayo ang lugar ninyo (that vaccines will get there. We just want to make sure about the handling in your far communities) because this vaccine is fragile. It’s handled with the utmost care,” he added.
Duterte urged LGUs to prepare for the delivery of vaccines in their areas in order to avoid vaccine wastage.
He said that the government is “very conscious of its responsibilities and fair to everyone.”
Meanwhile, Duterte stated that he will personally receive the delivery of approximately 3 million doses of Moderna vaccines provided by the United States of America to the Philippines this week.
The Philippines now has 34,275,740 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine and has administered a total of 20,863,544 doses.
