The provincial board has approved a resolution urging all municipal governments in Palawan to allocate funds for the purchase of their own anti-COVID vaccines.
Board member Sharon Abiog-Onda, author of the approved resolution, said they wanted to remind local government units (LGUs) that have not yet appropriated funds for vaccine purchase to do it for the benefit of their frontliners and residents.
“If they have not yet appropriated funds for COVID-19 vaccines, this resolution might remind them to allocate some of their funds for the vaccination of their frontliners and their constituents,” Onda said.
Earlier, committee on appropriation chair board member Leoncio Ola said they are looking at putting up a billion funding for the province’s purchase of the vaccines.
However, Ola said that they are also going to consider the priority areas or towns in the province.
“Almost a billion kung sakali na ma-finalize natin ang budget para d’yan. Hindi naman puwede na iasa natin sa national kaya ang mga LGU ngayon ay nagre-ready na ng mga funds,” Ola said in an interview with Palawan News.
He said that as of current, no town in the province has set aside funds for inoculation.
“Wala pang pinasa na allocation ang mga munisipyo kasi kakabagong taon at pangalawa, ang kanilang mga savings ay na-augment na rin. Siguro within January ay mapa-plantsa na namin kasi dapat agaran ‘yan. Ayaw ni Gob na tagalan pa,” he added.
“May pondo naman ang mga munisipyo pero kung ang dapat namin ibigay ay ibibigay ng probinsya. May mga munisipyo naman kasi na malalaki ang IRA at ang iba naman ay wala talaga. Kapag naayos na ito ay malalaman din kung ano ang dapat i-prioritize. Pero kami naman ay nakaalalay lang sa mga LGUs natin dito,” Ola said.
