Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 9) — Senator Panfilo Lacson raised doubts on the need to set aside ₱45 billion for COVID-19 vaccine booster shots next year, saying it may not even be utilized.
“How can we even talk of booster shots when we haven’t inoculated enough?” Lacson asked during Thursday’s Senate Committee on Finance deliberations on the proposed 2022 budget.
The ₱45 billion has only been earmarked by the Department of Budget and Management under unprogrammed appropriations, the availability of which depends on revenue collection exceeding targets and on additional grants or foreign funds.
Citing official data, Lacson noted that only 15.2 million Filipinos have so far been fully vaccinated, while some five million have received their first dose. The government aims to immunize around 70 million adults by year-end.
“Realizable ba ito? Magagamit ba natin ‘yung ₱45.37 billion for booster shots? Baka naman pwedeng magamit pa natin ‘yung ₱45.37 billion in the next year’s budget sa ibang purpose,” the senator said.
[Translation: Is this realizable? Will we even be able to use the ₱45.37 billion for booster shots? Perhaps we can use that money for another purpose.]
Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said it is still best to be financially prepared.
“What is constraining us is not our ability to inoculate people. It is the supply issue,” he said. “It is the ability of the pharmas to deliver. We have ordered it and we expect the pharmas to meet their commitment.”
“If we don’t put it in the budget and it so happens that we are able to meet the targets — I don’t know, end of this year or first quarter of next year — and the (booster) doses are recommended, I wouldn’t want to be left in a situation where we don’t have the funds,” Dominguez added.
