"This would mean a blessed new year, indeed."
"This would mean a blessed new year, indeed."
Amid all the bad news we all have been getting as a result of COVID-19 pandemic, we hear some good news that we can have a mask-free Christmas.
Vaccine Czar Carlito Galvez Jr. says the vaccines, whose delivery will begin in October, will boost the immunization program that would lead us to herd immunity. It would be a blessed New Year, indeed!
The government has sealed what is so far its biggest deal with the signing of an agreement for the delivery of 40 million doses of Pfizer vaccines.
Galvez said that the payment of the 40 million doses will be by the Asian Development Bank, from which the government has borrowed.
Galvez also said that the Philippines has already purchased 113 million vaccine doses this year. By the way, the 40 million Pfizer does cost $400 million.
He added that the purchased vaccines include the 20 million doses of CoronaVac, 10 million doses of Sputnik V, 20 million doses of Moderna (arriving this Sunday) and 17 million doses of AstraZeneca. The COVAX global vaccine pool has already committed to ship in 44 million doses which brings the total number of expected doses to 157 million — past the number of doses needed to achieve herd immunity.
The country has so far received 9 million CoronaVac, 2.6 million AstraZeneca and 180,000 Sputnik V vaccine doses. My gulay, there are also negotiations for the supply of an estimated total of 16 million doses from US companies NovaVax and Johnson & Johnson.
Finally, the government has made the right decision. Let’s move quickly, former government health adviser Tony Leachon said. Indeed, the Duterte administration is headed in the right direction in this aspect.
According to data, more than 8 million Filipinos have already been inoculated, but only 2.1 million have received their second doses. The government’s target is to increase the daily vaccination rate from the current 322,929 to at least 500,000 in the next few months.
We can only hope for the best. With more prayers and the government now moving quickly to achieve herd immunity, we can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
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The biggest drawback for a united opposition are the critics and oppositionists to the choices of President Duterte to succeed him. Known oppositionists cannot seem to agree who their presidential and vice presidential candidate would be.
My gulay, even the line-up of the opposition’s 12 senators cannot yet be formed by the 1Sambayan because those mentioned are declining.
The biggest drawback of the opposition is Vice President Leni Robredo herself who up to now cannot seem to decide on whether or not she will run for the presidency as the opposition standard bearer. According to my sources, Robredo appears inclined to run for Camarines Sur governor instead.
Even some of the 2019 opposition candidates have already defected to the super majority of the ruling party which can only mean that Liberal Party itself is disintegrating.
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The “balikbayan” senators making a comeback for the 2022 elections are the following: Sorsogon Gov. Chiz Escudero, Capiz Rep. Loren Legarda, former Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, Jinggoy Estrada, JV Ejercito, Gringo Honasan, now secretary of the Department of Information and Communication Technology and Bam Aquino.
Out of the six names, I believe two will not make it. But, I won’t name them. My sources tell me that Cayetano will aspire to become Senate President, unless Senators Ralph Recto, now Senate President Pro tempore and Majority Leader Migz Zubiri will aspire for it.
There are also speculations that if Gibo Teodoro, who has offered himself to be the running mate of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio won’t make it for Vice President, he may try his luck for the Senate, just like Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso, who won’t run for a higher office may opt to run for the Senate instead.
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All the Metro Manila mayors will surely get reelected if they run for reelection according to a well-known politician considering now some of them have become outstanding in their positions.
On top of the list of outstanding mayors are Mayor Joy Belmonte of Quezon City, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, Makati Mayor Abby Binay, Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto, Taguig Mayor Lino Cayetano, Navotas Mayor Toby Tiangco, San Juan Mayor Francis Zamora and Marikina Mayor Marcelino Teodoro.
But the elections are 11 months away. Many things can still happen.
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Several questions have risen with the plan of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate the Duterte administration for alleged crimes against humanity.
How many alleged killings of people involved in the illegal drug trade were really killed? Police records showed only some 8,000. Unofficial estimates showed some 28,000 killed. What will happen since Duterte says he won’t cooperate? So, what can the ICC do?
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My wife and I mourn the death of Nelia Teodoro Gonzales since she was a very good friend.
Nelia was many things to a lot of people. She was our Manila Overseas Press Club treasurer for a long time. She was a former University of the Philippines Board Regent, and the right-hand associate of a well-known Chinese tycoon.
The MOPC members will miss you, Nelia. My wife and I condole with Nelia’s family.