CALOOCAN CITY, Feb. 27 (PIA) -- President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has signed into law the COVID-19 Vaccination Program Act of 2021, Malacañang announced Friday.
The new law would expedite the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines and establish a P500-million indemnity fund.
"We are confident that the signing of this landmark piece of legislation would expedite the procurement and administration of vaccines for the protection against COVID-19," Presidential Spokesperson Secretary Harry Roque said.
"Indeed, we remain committed in our fight against the coronavirus pandemic and we are using necessary means, such as the enactment of this Republic Act, certified urgent by the President, as a way to start our vaccine rollout," Roque added.
The measure authorizes the national government, local government units (LGUs), and the private sector, through the National Task Force Against COVID-19 and the Department of Health (DOH), to procure vaccines against COVID-19.
It also allows LGUs to directly procure the ancillary supplies and services necessary for the storage, transport, and deployment of the vaccines.
Further, it exempts LGUs from certain provisions of existing procurement laws in their bid to obtain COVID-19 vaccines. These laws include the Government Procurement Reform Act, the Government Auditing Code of the Philippines, and the Local Government Code.
Another salient point of the new law is the P500 million national indemnity fund to compensate any individual vaccinated against COVID-19, in case of death or for the treatment of the vaccine’s possible adverse effects. (PIA NCR)
Source: Philippines Information Agency (pia.gov.ph)
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