HUMIHILING ang Philippine government ng $325-million o P15.6 billion na loan mula sa Asian Development Bank (ADB) upang magamit sa pagbili ng bakuna kontra COVID-19.
Iro ang nabatid kay ADB Country Director for the Philippines Kelly Bird sa ginanap na press briefing kahapon kung saan kanyang sinabi na ang Filipinas ay maaaring makautang ng mula $400 million hanggang $500 million para sa vaccine procurement ng bansa.
“At the moment, the government has requested approximately $325 million from the first component of the facility – that’s the vetted response component. And that’s dedicated for financing the procurement of vaccine,” sabi ni Bird.
“ADB is working very closely and intensely with the government even over the Christmas and New Year period to carry out for technical background work and preparing the vaccine project,” dagdag pa ni Bird.
Subalit nilinaw ng ADB official na ang COVID-19 vaccines na popondohan at bibilhin mula sa pondong manggagaling sa ADB ay kailangang makapasa sa eligibility criteria nito.
Ayon kay Bird, ang Manila-based lending agency ay mahigpit na nakikipag-ugnayan at ma-susi itong tinatalakay sa pakikipagtulungan ng Department of Finance (DOF) at Department of Health (DOH).
“We aim to bring the Philippine long proposal to our board of directors for formal consideration very, very quickly. And we want to have these resources available to the Philippines so that they can immediately procure those vaccines. And we will also provide technical assistance to the government to provide capacity support, monitoring supply needs and other request on a demand basis,” sabi pa ng ADB official.
Nauna rito ay inilunsad ng ADB ang $9 billion vaccine initiative – na Asia Pacific Vaccine Access Facility (APVAX) – na nag-aalok ng mabilis at pantay na suporta sa mga develping members nito upang magamit sa pagbili para agad namang makapagbigay ng epektibo at ligtas na COVID-19 vaccines sa kanilang mga mamamayan. EVELYN QUIROZ
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