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President Rodrigo Duterte said on Monday night that the government is allowing the private sector to directly procure vaccines against coronavirus disease from foreign manufacturers.

In his regular "Talk to the People," Duterte said he directed National Task Force Against COVID-19 Chief Implementer and Vaccine Czar Carlito Galvez Jr. to sign "any documents that will allow private sector to import (vaccines) at will."

"No matter how many (doses) they want, they can bring them in," he said.

Duterte noted that many businessmen who want to purchase their own vaccines so they can immediately inoculate their workers.

"Here in the Philippines, there are many businessmen who want to buy (vaccines) to be given to their workers so that the economy can be opened. Their factories have no workers. There are many restrictions in the mobility of the people and the workers come from all places," he said.

Prior to Duterte's decision, private sector could order the vaccines through a tripartite agreement with the national government and the pharmaceutical company.

Congress recently passed a law that provides indemnity for recipients who would experience severe adverse negative effects from the COVID-19 vaccines. Celerina Monte/DMS