I have just learned from a relative in the United States who keeps track of vaccine distributions worldwide that
the reason the Philippines has still not received any vaccines from Western producers abroad is because our government has been dithering about agreeing to indemnify persons who may react badly to the vaccine. Furthermore, President Duterte’s fulminations against Western countries not aiding poor countries like ours simply strengthens the belief that the Philippines will keep on being a mendicant nation.
Obviously because this inept administration has been bungling its way during this whole crisis, the private sector must step in to help the country get immunized, as Guillermo Luz wrote in Business Matters (“How the private sector can help in vaccination,” 2/20/21).
Bangladesh, which is among the most impoverished countries in Asia, has beaten us to rolling out its vaccines, which only puts us to shame. Apparently, this country will continue being the perennial laggard among our Asian neighbors.
Celeste Cruz,celestetcruz@gmail.com