The interim National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (NITAG) will decide on appeals to include in the Covid-19 vaccine priority list Filipino athletes and other delegates who will be competing in the Tokyo Summer Olympics and the Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi this year, a Palace official said Wednesday.

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles made this remark in response to the Philippine Sports Commission’s request for athletes to be included in the vaccination once they are available “given their required qualification competitions held in various parts of the globe.”

“Sa [NITAG] po natin binibigay yung mga sectors na gusto natin ma-prioritize and it’s up to that technical advisory group na i-collate yung mga requests and recommendations for prioritization and sila yung nagbibigay ultimately ng guidance sa vaccination cluster kung paano yung prioritization (We will relay to the NITAF sectors we want to prioritize and it’s up to that technical advisory group to collate those requests and recommendations for prioritization and they will ultimately give guidance to the vaccination cluster on prioritization),” he said in an interview over state-run PTV-4.

While the NITAG had previously released a more expansive priority list, Nograles said new sectors seeking to be included will have to go through the same process of review by members of the advisory group.

“Although meron nang napag-usapan na priority list of sectors, pero siguro yung mga pagpasok ng ibang sectors ay kailangan dumaan din sa proseso ng pagde-determine ng NITAG (Although we already have a priority list of sectors, others sectors that want to be included need to undergo a process which will be determined by the NITAG),” he added.

Nograles said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) may “weigh in” on the NITAG’s decision, but would usually give full trust and confidence to the final verdict.

“Siguro yung IATF ay puwede naman mag weigh in ang IATF kumbaga. Pero kumbaga merong sariling vaccine cluster kasi ‘yan e under kay Secretary [Carlito] Charlie Galvez. At kami kasi sa IATF, parang nagbibigay na kami ng full trust and confidence doon sa vaccine cluster na ‘yan (Perhaps the IATF can weigh in. But it belongs to its own vaccine cluster under Secretary Charlie Galvez. And we at the IATF, we give our full trust and confidence in that vaccine cluster),” he said.

Last Tuesday, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, chair of the Senate Committee on Sports, appealed to Galvez to include national athletes and coaches in the priority list.

“Bandila ng Pilipinas at dangal ng lahing Pilipino ang itatanghal ng ating mga atleta sa mga palarong ito. Dapat lamang na bigyan din natin sila ng sapat na proteksyon (Our athletes represent the Philippine flag and honor of the Filipinos in these competitions. It is only proper to give them enough protection as well),” Go said.

Go also said this is not merely about competition but is also a source of livelihood for athletes and other sports professionals, especially those who come from poor communities.

He said Galvez responded positively to the appeal, adding that they are studying how the competing athletes can be prioritized alongside, and without prejudice, to other sectors that have been identified as a top priority for vaccination, such as front-liners and those belonging to poor and vulnerable sectors.

In online media briefing, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the request for national athletes’ inclusion in the priority list of the government’s vaccination program will have to go through the process.

“Pag-aaralan ‘yan tulad ng lagi nating sinasabi may proseso tayo. Ang nagbibigay ng rekomendasyon para aprubahan ng (That will be studied because we have a process. The one that gives recommendation for approval to) DOH and also the IATF,” Vergeire said.

She said if the NITAG would agree to include the national athletes “then, we will include them.”

“But for now, we stick to our priorities, although, of course, this will still be considered because this is a request and this is something that the government would like to pursue when it comes to sports,” she added.

Vergeire also said no changes will be made on the priority list just to accommodate such request.

Currently, national athletes are preparing for the Tokyo 2021 Olympics where they hope to bag the country’s first gold medal. They will also be participating in the 2021 SEA Games in Hanoi, Vietnam to defend the Philippines’ championship title, and the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games to be held in Thailand in May next year.

On Tuesday, Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham Tolentino said business tycoon Enrique Razon Jr. will shoulder the inoculation of the Tokyo Olympics-bound athletes.

Razon, the owner of International Container Terminal Services Inc. and Bloomberry Resorts, earlier said he will bring in 20 million doses of Moderna vaccines. (PNA)