NEGROS Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said the Provincial Government has allocated P30 million from this year's provincial budget for the purchase of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) vaccines.
Lacson also said that he has already signed a Non-disclosure Agreement with a pharmaceutical company.
Lacson, however, refused to give further details of the transaction but added that the P30-million fund could be available from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) budget.
To be given priority with the vaccination are medical frontliners.
The P30-million allocation of the province for Covid-19 vaccines is aside from the vaccines to be purchased by the National Government which will also give priority to the medical frontliners, vulnerable senior citizens, indigents and other frontliners like the military and the police.
The governor admitted that the amount may not be enough for what the province needs and that he also expects an allocation from the National Government.
He said he still does not know what the national government will give to the local government units whether it is "an allocation or a grant."
Lacson also encouraged local government units (LGUs) in the province, especially the cities to also allocate funds to purchase vaccines for their use.
Former representative Alfredo Benitez, provincial consultant on economic affairs, who will head the procurement effort, said in December last year that he is negotiating for Negros Occidental to be among the first provinces in the country to avail the Covid-19 vaccines early this year.