Malacañang welcomes plan to deploy nurses in exchange for vax

MANILA – Malacañang on Wednesday welcomed the proposal of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to allow the deployment of thousands of healthcare workers, mostly nurses, in the United Kingdom and Germany in exchange for Covid-19 vaccines.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said while the government has already ordered enough Covid-19 vaccine supply for its people, “more is better than less.”

However, he clarified that Duterte was not consulted about the plan to send healthcare workers if the two European nations agreed to donate Covid-19 vaccines.

He said the proposal was made by Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III and Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro “Teddyboy” Locsin Jr.

“The President was not informed of this proposal as far as I know,” he said. “Hindi po ito ideya ng Presidente, ideya po ito ni Secretary Bello at Secretary Locsin na wini-welcome din natin because more is better than less (This is not the idea of the President, this is the idea of Secretaries Bello and Locsin which we welcome because more is better than less).”

Roque reassured the public that the government has ordered enough Covid-19 vaccine supplies from various drugmakers.

“As far as the President is concerned, we have ordered more than enough [vaccine doses],” he said.

He said additional Covid-19 vaccine supply is still welcome.

“Nag-order po tayo. Sapat, sobra-sobra pa nga po. Mga 90 million [doses] pa nga po in-order natin. Sinobrahan na natin. Pero siyempre kung mas marami pang supply ang makukuha natin, bakit hindi (We ordered vaccines. They’re enough, even more than enough. We ordered around 90 million doses. That’s more than enough. But, of course, if we can get more, why not),” he said.

The labor department earlier relaxed the ban on the deployment of Filipino healthcare workers abroad but limited the deployment of medical professionals leaving the country to 5,000 a year.

International Labor Affairs Bureau (ILAB) Director Alice Visperas on Tuesday confirmed that Bello was open to lifting the cap on the deployment of Filipino healthcare workers in exchange for Covid-19 vaccines which could be used to inoculate outbound workers and Filipino repatriates.

UK has said it has no plans to agree to a vaccine deal with the Philippines linked to the recruitment of nurses but expressed openness to share surplus vaccines in the future through the World Health Organization’s COVAX scheme.

The Philippines plans to secure 148 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines from various suppliers to inoculate around 50 million to 70 million or two-thirds of the country’s 108 million population this year.

It has yet to kick off its vaccination drive, but some 600,000 doses of Sinovac vaccines donated by China to the Philippines are expected to arrive in a week’s time.