ANGELES CITY—The local government unit here is seeking a P600 million loan to cover the required vaccines for its 411,634 residents.
This after the Department of Health, in a letter dated January 18, replied to Mayor Carmelo Lazatin’s query that the “transfer of fund to local government units is not applicable under this circumstances.”
Lazatin earlier allocated P25 million for the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines.
Lazatin tapped his Chief Adviser and Tactician IC Calaguas to represent him in initial talks with leading financial institutions so that the city government will be able to acquire the required doses of vaccines for residents.
He will also ask the city council, led by Vice Mayor Vicky Vega-Cabigting, to authorize him to enter into a loan agreement to provide free vaccines to all Angeles City residents.
“The city government has more than enough borrowing capacity. I am just putting it to good use,” Lazatin said.
Over the weekend, the mayor instructed medical doctors led by Dr. Froilan Canlas of the Rafael Lazatin Memorial Medical Center and Dr. Verona Guevera of the City Health Office to come out with initial guidelines for the inoculation.
“While waiting for the guidelines of the national government, we are drafting our own as well then we will adjust according to the guidelines of the national government,” Lazatin said.
