The local business sector expressed willingness to purchase COVID-19 vaccines for its employees.
But while they are open to such arrangement, the sector noted “gray areas” in the vaccine purchase agreement.
According to Iloilo Business Club (IBC) Executive Director Lea Lara, they were updated by Mayor Jerry Treñas on the availability and procurement of vaccines.
“We are thankful for Mayor Treñas, he was updating us on the availability of the vaccines, how it can be procured, and what are the local government units (LGUs) and companies doing in Manila,” Lara said in a media interview on Wednesday.
Lara said they are open to buying the vaccines, but they are still studying the tripartite agreement of the city government.
“Gina-studyohan namon kon paano. We are open but kadamo pa sang gray areas and pamangkot over arrangements,” she said.
The mayor previously announced that Iloilo City has been eyeing a deal with London-based Oxford-AstraZeneca for the purchase of COVID-19 vaccine.
Last Tuesday, a special session was conducted by the City Council to discuss the tripartite agreement between and among the city government, the national government, and the pharmaceutical company.
The mayor has earlier announced that the city is preparing PHP200-million for the purchase of COVID-19 vaccine as it aims 100% inoculation of the city’s over 500,000 population.
Lara said the agreement contained a clause indicating that half of the vaccines purchased by the private sectors will be automatically donated to the national government.
“May ara clause na half will be donated sa national so paano ang local kon tani unahon ang local,” she added.
Lara said it is still unclear how the vaccine will be thoroughly distributed, especially to employees working in the city but are residents of neighboring provinces.
“We are still studying it, indi kami kabalo kon mahulat kami kon mabakal ang province, how much of the workforce ang indi macover. Indi pa sure sa mga arrangements, and we are yet to contact the governor for the mechanism sa province,” she said.
Nevertheless, the IBC official said they will continue to support the plans of the Iloilo City government and follow the prescribed protocols of the regulatory body of the Inter-Agency Task Force on COVID-19. (ERS)
