The Philippines expects听to听get听194.89 million听coronavirus vaccine听doses as the government and the private sector听buys听shots听enough to cover 100.5 million Filipinos, Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III said.听
The听National听Government has听borrowed听$1.126听billion听from the听Asian Development Bank (ADB), World Bank听and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank听(AIIB)听to buy 105.65 million听vaccine听doses. These were on听top of the 15.5 million听shots it ordered using听P8.42 billion from state coffers, he told lawmakers听at听a budget hearing on Thursday evening.听
The country听also听expects听48.84 million vaccines听worth听$503 million donated by bilateral partners, including those under a global initiative for equal access.听
鈥淲e don鈥檛 have to worry about the money,鈥 Mr. Dominguez told senators in Filipino. 鈥淓verything has been financed.鈥听
The Department of Finance听got听loans听from the three multilateral lenders in March听鈥斕$500 million from the World bank, $400 million from the ADB and $300 million from the AIIB. Under the agreements, the banks will pay vaccine manufacturers directly and deliver the supplies to the听government.听
The private sector and local government units听are working听to听obtain 24.9 million听vaccine听doses听worth听$284.5 million.听The Finance chief said听the total would be enough to听vaccinate听100.5 million Filipinos.听
The country expects听50 million vaccines to be delivered every month starting September, he said, adding that听all doses should arrive and听would be given out听by January.听
Mr. Dominguez said听48.89 million听vaccine听doses听have听delivered听since the government鈥檚 vaccine rollout started in March. Forty-two听million more听shots听are scheduled for delivery听by听Sept. 30.听He said 103.59 million听shots would arrive听in the听last听quarter.听
The government听has听allotted P45.37 billion under the proposed P5.024-trillion national budget听for next year听to buy booster shots.听
The government seeks to听inoculate 70% of听Filipino听adults听by year-end to achieve herd immunity.听
About 16.5% of the country鈥檚 population had been vaccinated as of Aug. 25, according to the听Our World in Data website.听
The Philippines could only reach herd immunity by May 2022 based on its听vaccination听pace,听Maybank Kim Eng听said in a听research note last week.听鈥斕Beatrice M. Laforga
