Gov’t wants P240B budget for COVID fight in 2022

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THE national government has allocated in its proposed 2022 national budget the amount of P240.747 billion to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), including P45.367 billion for the purchase of vaccine booster shots.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque yesterday said the budget entry for the booster shots will be under the “Unprogrammed Appropriations” of the Department of Health (DOH).

Roque said the government is eyeing the use of booster shots in the first quarter of 2022.

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The government has administered 29.127 million doses of vaccine nationwide, with 12.877 million individuals already fully vaccinated as of August 18.

Roque said the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) is expected to submit the proposed P5.024 trillion budget for 2022 to Congress on August 23.

Roque said that aside from the funding for the booster shots, the government is allotting P982.927 million for the establishment of the Virology Science and Technology Institute which will boost the country’s efforts on vaccine development, and P140 million for the improvement of the Philippine Genome Center which sequences specimen to detect COVID-19 variants, among others.

Congress is set to resume sessions on Monday after both the Senate and the House of Representatives suspended sessions while Metro Manila was under enhanced community quarantine from August 6 until 20 .

President Duterte locked down the capital region amid an increase in COVID-19 cases, including cases caused by the Delta variant of the virus.

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