Photo Release

Drilon bats for programmed booster shots budget: Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon bats for the inclusion in the programmed funds under the proposed P5.024 trillion national budget the appropriation for the procurement and administration of COVID-19 booster shots to Filipinos. During the plenary deliberation on the General Appropriations bill Wednesday, November 10, 2021, Drilon said the need for booster shots is now a certainty as seen in other countries and especially because vaccine efficacy is scientifically accepted to be only good for six months. Finance Committee Chairman Sonny Angara said when budget calls were made early in the year, science was not yet certain on the need for booster shots but informed Drilon that aside from the P45 billion budget for 83.4 million booster shots under unprogrammed appropriations, the Senate committee included an additional P16.2 billion for the procurement of 29.86 million booster shots. “I raised this question because from the way we look at things today, there is a certainty that a booster shot is necessary. And one of the missteps that our government had at the start of this pandemic is that we did not negotiate in advance for the supply of the vaccines. It took us time and therefore, by the time we were able to get our supply, we were already suffering from the adverse consequences of the pandemic,” Drilon said. (Screen grab/Senate PRIB)