Mike Defensor urges COVID-19 task force: Help private firms buy COVID-19 vaccines

By Billy Begas

Anakalusugan Rep. Michael Defensor appealed to the Department of Health (DOH) and the National Task Force Against COVID-19 (NTF) to help private companies to fast track their purchase of COVID-19 vaccines.

Defensor also urged other companies to follow Accenture Inc. and Jollibee Foods Corp. who plan to arrange and pay the vaccination of their 67,000 employees and their families.

“We expect other corporations to follow in the footsteps of the two firms,” Defensor said. “We applaud both Accenture and Jollibee for inspiring other businesses to immunize their workers as well as their families.”

Accenture, the country’s largest provider of outsourced business consulting and processing services employs over 50,000 college-educated Filipinos in multiple sites in Metro Manila, Laguna, Ilocos Norte and Cebu.

Jollibee employs 17,000 Filipinos, including those in its subsidiaries and support units.

Private corporations that wish to buy shots for their employees and dependents have to enter into tripartite procurement agreements with the national government and vaccine manufacturers.

Meanwhile, Defensor called on the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) and the League of Corporate Foundations (LCF) to “aggregate” the vaccines needed by their members to inoculate their employees and their families.

“Both PBSP and LCF can aggregate the jabs needed by member firms for use on their employees and dependents, and then enter into ‘mother’ procurement agreements with the government and vaccine producers,” Defensor said.

PBSP is the largest business-led social development non-governmental organization with 255 member companies while LCF groups has 96 of the largest corporate foundations dedicated to improving the lives of their human resources, the community and the environment.

Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)