A roundup of local governments who secured vaccine deals in advance

MANILA, Philippines (3rd update; first published 12:34 p.m.) — Over the past few days, local chief executives across the country have already signaled their intent to secure vaccination for their constituents ahead of the rollout of the mass vaccination program by the national government and the Department of Health. 

Some have also signed tripartite agreements with AstraZeneca and the national government to procure COVID-19 vaccines, while others have entered talks with other vaccine manufacturers.

It has been 302 days since the first enhanced community quarantine was hoisted over some parts of Luzon, marking the world's longest quarantine. President Rodrigo Duterte has routinely emphasized that securing a vaccine to achieve herd immunity in the country is the only way forward for Filipinos. 

Here's a running list of local governments who have secured vaccine doses for their localities. 

• Antipolo City: AstraZeneca doses worth P300 million (per city information officer Relly Bernardo)
• Bacolod City: AstraZeneca doses worth P300 million (per Mayor Evelio Leonardia on CNN Philippines' The Final Word) 
• Baguio City: AstraZeneca doses "for 190,000 residents" (per Mayor Benjamin Magalong) 
• Cainta, Rizal: AstraZeneca doses (per Mayor Kit Nieto) 
• Caloocan City: 600,000 doses of AstraZeneca for free for all city constituents (per Mayor Oca Malapitan)
• Dagupan City: 160,000 doses of AstraZeneca (per Mayor Brian Lim)
• Davao City: Undisclosed doses of AstraZeneca and another unnamed manufacturer for 1.2 million of city population (per Mayor Sara Duterte) 
• Iloilo City: 600,000 doses of AstraZeneca (per Mayor Jerry Treñas)
• Ilocos Norte: 120,000 of AstraZeneca for at least 60,000 residents (per Gov. Matthew Marcos Manotoc)
• Las Piñas City: 300,000 doses of AstraZeneca (per Mayor Imelda Aguilar)
• Legazpi City, Albay: P200 million allocated for 250,000 city residents (per Mayor Noel Rosal)
• Makati City: 1 million doses of AstraZeneca (per Mayor Abby Binay) 
• Mandaluyong City: undisclosed number of AstraZeneca doses worth P200 million (per Mayor Carmelita Abalos)
• Manila City: 800,000 doses of AstraZeneca (per Manila PIO)
• Muntinlupa City: 100,000 doses of AstraZeneca (per information chief Tez Navarro)
• Navotas City: 100,000 doses of AstraZeneca (per Mayor Toby Tiangco) 
• Ormoc City: 270,000 doses of AstraZeneca (per Mayor Richard Gomez)
• Oroquieta City: 120,000 doses of AstraZeneca (per Mayor Lemuel Meyrick Acosta)
• Pasay City: 275,000 doses of AstraZeneca (per Mayor Mayor Emi Calixto-Rubiano)
• Pasig City: 400,000 doses of AstraZeneca (per Mayor Vico Sotto) 
• Parañaque City: 200,000 doses of AstraZeneca (per Mayor Edwin Olivarez) 
• Quezon City: 1.1 million doses of AstraZeneca (per Mayor Joy Belmonte)
• San Juan City: P50 million worth of AstraZeneca vaccines, undisclosed number of doses (per Mayor Francis Zamora)
• Taguig City: P1 billion deal for AstraZeneca vaccines, undisclosed number of doses (per Mayor Lino Cayetano) 
• Taal, Batangas: 40,000 doses of AstraZeneca (per Mayor Pong Mercado)
• Valenzuela City: 640,000 doses of AstraZeneca (per Valenzuela City PIO)
• Vigan City: 100,000 to 120,000 doses of AstraZeneca (per Mayor Carlo Medina)
• Zamboanga City: 400,000 doses of AstraZeneca (per Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar)

Why does this matter?

The Department of Health for its part maintained on January 4 that only the national government can procure COVID-19 vaccines that will be given emergency use authorization (EUA) by the country’s Food and Drug Administration.

But just three days later, no less than President Duterte approved the rolling out of a tripartite agreement among LGUs, the national government and pharmaceutical firms for the vaccine procurement in recognition of the role of LGUs in the rollout of a national vaccination program to prevent the spread of the virus, according to National Task Force Against COVID-19 chief implementer and vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr.

In a statement published early Thursday morning, the Coalition for People's Right to Health cast fear about the lack of a "fully fleshed-out plan [or] any actually approved or available vaccine in the country." Lawmakers and local chief executives with the League of Cities of the Philippines have also called for city mayors to have a say on vaccine selection for their localities. 

READ: DOH urged to assert definitive vaccine rollout plan, central authority | City mayors want say on vaccine selection

The country's Food and Drug Administration, which is an attached bureau under the DOH, has not yet approved any vaccine for emergency use, which is a requirement before any vaccine can be rolled out for mass inoculation. American firm Pfizer, British-Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca and Russia's Gamaleya have each applied for emergency use authorization as of this post. 

"The Coalition is cognizant that national elections are soon coming in 2022, and fears the further politicization of health services, persistently seen prior to and even during this pandemic," the coalition said in its statement, urging the DOH and the government's coronavirus task force to also expand the target of vaccinating just 25 million prioritized individuals for 2021 to at least 60% of the population or 66 million people.

— with reports from Gaea Katreena Cabico

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Disclosure: Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte is a shareholder of Philstar Global Corp., which operates digital news outlet Philstar.com. This article was produced following editorial guidelines.