ANGELES City Mayor Carmelo Lazatin Jr. has allotted P25 million for the procurement of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) vaccines, prioritizing frontline medical workers and those who belong to marginalized sectors. “We want to exhaust all means to ensure that all residents of Angeles City, especially those members of the vulnerable sector, will receive a free vaccine against the virus,” Lazatin said. Meantime, Calapan City Mayor Arnan Panaligan also set aside P25 million for the city’s vaccine procurement program. He said the amount could cover an initial number of 50,000 people. League of Cities of the Philippines National President, Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia, earlier formed a committee that will negotiate with the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Food and Drugs Administration, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Health, as well as vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. regarding the proposed procurement of the vaccines. Leonardia tasked the committee to hold exploratory talks with Pfizer, AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline and other qualified vaccine manufacturers.

With reports from IRE JOE V.C. LAURENTE