Mandaue realigns P150 million vax budget

CEBU, Philippines — The city government of Mandaue has realigned the P150 million vaccine budget to its COVID-19 response and inoculation program.

City Budget Officer Giovanni Tianero said P100 million out of the amount will be used for the salary of vaccination site personnel, purchase of meals and supplies, and other expenses related to the city’s pandemic response.

Bulk or around P50 million of the budget will be used to buy vaccination supplies and meals for the vaccination site personnel.

Tianero said roughly P30 million will go to the compensation of the vaccination personnel for this year and 20 million is set aside for other vaccination expenses.

The vaccination sites at the Mandaue City Cultural and Sports Complex, University of Cebu Lapu-Lapu Mandaue Campus, JCentre Mall, and Pacific Mall have 18 doctors, 45 nurses and 70 contractual personnel hired by the city government.

Tianero said the city government will not use the budget for the purchase of vaccines as the city has supply allocation from the national government.

The remaining of the 150 million is set aside for the operating expenses of the city’s isolation facilities.

In January this year, the City Council passed a supplemental budget amounting to P150 million for the city’s inoculation drive and for the purchase of vaccines against COVID-19.

But the budget was realigned recently as the city government sees no need to procure its own vaccine supplies.

Jabs resume

Meanwhile, Lapu-Lapu City government resumed its vaccination yesterday.

Aside from the vaccination sites at Hoops Dome in Barangay Gun-ob and City Auditorium in Barangay Poblacion, Mayor Junard Ahong Chan said the city will reopen anew the Barangay Agus Gymnasium to hasten the city’s vaccine rollout.

At present, 40,000 Oponganons got their COVID vaccines.

The mayor said 240,000 more residents have registered for vaccination.

On the other hand, the city government of Talisay has designated the vaccination site in a mall in Barangay San Roque for the second dose next week.

Dr. Rey Cesar Bautista of the City Health Office said those scheduled next week will receive Sinovac and Pfizer vaccines.

He said those scheduled for the first dose will only be accommodated in the vaccination sites in Barangays Lawaan 1 and Lagtang.

The city was able to vaccinate at least 18,000 residents and 68,000 others are scheduled for jabs. — Gabriel C. Bonjoc, KQD (FREEMAN)