Covid-19 vaccines for Zamboanga

FOLLOWING LAST year’s passage of the 2021 Executive Budget, Zamboanga Mayor Beng Climaco, who heads the local Covid-19 task force, has already allocated an initial P200 million for the purchase of coronavirus vaccines for her constituents.

Now, more and more local governments are allocating funds for their own Covid-19 vaccines. At the latest count, over a dozen local governments have joined Zamboanga City in providing for its own vaccines to inoculate residents.

Among the local governments that provided own funds for the vaccines are Makati City with P1 billion; Quezon City P1 billion; Puerto Princesa City P500 million; Pasig City P300 million; Manila City P250 million; Parañaque City P250 million; Iloilo City P200 million; Mandaluyong City P200 million; Cainta in Rizal province P150 million; Valenzuela City P150 million; Caloocan City P125 million; Marikina City P82.7 million; San Juan City P50 million and Navotas City with P20 million.

Climaco, also a member of the Committee on Vaccine Availment of the League of Cities of the Philippines, said the local government is closely coordinating with the national government and the Department of Health, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases, including vaccine czar Carlito Galvez for the purchase of the Covid-19 vaccines.

Local resident, Farsha Live, also wrote a message on Climaco’s Facebook account and said: “Maraming-maraming salamat po Madam Beng sa pag malasakit mo po sa taong-bayan ng Zamboanga City. Iyong hindi maniwala sa bakuna huwag na lang po kayong magpabakuna. Ang mahalaga mahal na mahal ni Madam Beng ang taong-bayan ng Zamboanga City.”

With nearly 1 million population, Zamboanga City, the gateway to the provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi is one of the national government’s priorities in the vaccination program.

Climaco passed the proposed P4.38-billion budget in September after months of careful studies to ensure the welfare of the people amid the deadly pandemic. But it was only approved in December after opposition councilors “altered” the budget.

She said the opposition councilors “killed” the Largo Vida Program, an initiative that she started in 2018 and which she intends to expand to over 60,000 beneficiaries this year. 

“It is with deep regret that (opposition) majority of the members of the City Council resolutely removed vital appropriations in the FY (Fiscal Year) 2021 Executive Budget of the City Government of Zamboanga. Very important social services programs such as the Largo Vida, Salva Vida and Cuida Vida, which could have benefited senior citizens, low income families, disadvantaged communities, marginalized sectors, most affected families of the COVID-19 pandemic and other vulnerable members of society, were unfoundedly scrapped,” she said.

She identified the opposition councilors as Monsi dela Cruz, John Dalipe, BG Guingona, Mike Alavar, Litlit Macrohon, Khymer Olaso, Lilibeth Nuño, Cary John Pioc, VP Elago, Gerky Valesco and Jerry Perez – all political allies (except Dela Cruz and Dalipe who are allies of Rep. Mannix Dalipe) of former Congressman Celso Lobregat whom she defeated in 2019 election.  (Zamboanga Post)

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