The provincial government here has allotted PHP95 million for the initial procurement of the coronavirus-disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccines.

Vice Governor Christine Garin convened the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) for a special session on Thursday and granted Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. an authority to enter into a multilateral agreement for the purchase of the AZD 1222 vaccine.

The SP also ratified the authority to sign the confidentiality agreement for and on behalf of the provincial government together with the AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals Philippines Inc.

In a press conference, Defensor said the authority will allow the provincial agreement to participate in the signing of the multilateral agreement with the Department of Health (DOH) and the pharmaceutical firm.

The budget, the governor said, is equivalent to 271,000 doses.

However, as to how much will be provided to the province will depend on the allocation that will be granted by the national government.

“Ang aton decision (our decision) we are guided by the vaccination plan of the province,” he said.

He added that at this stage when the vaccine is still being developed, the acceptance by the public is not yet 100 percent, according to surveys.

He added that there is still the need to educate the public because not all are willing to get inoculated.

“In line also with the national policy, you don’t put everything in one basket,” he said, adding that as time goes along, more vaccines will be developed.

The fund is just an initial allocation, which is a reasonable estimate, and the province can still augment more in the future.

Once available, the provincial government will be prioritizing front-liners looking after sick people, the elderly who are willing to get immunized, and those with co-morbidity.

Meanwhile, he said that the province is also ready with cold storage once the vaccines are available. (PNA)