The Palace on Thursday, November 19, announced that the Philippines will be entering into advance market commitments (AMCs) with private manufacturers of anti-COVID-19 vaccines after President Rodrigo Roa Duterte approved the conduct of negotiations and the signing of AMCs, including authorizing advanced payments for negotiated terms.

Presidential Spokesperson Secretary Harry Roque Jr visited the town of Alcala in Cagayan province on November 17 to personally assess the current situation in the area following the massive flooding that happened.

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on November 14 created a task force that will be in charge of the rehabilitation of calamity-stricken areas in the wake of the subsequent typhoons that hit the country recently.

The Palace calls on the Filipinos’ spirit of bayanihan as the nation reels from the aftermath of typhoon Ulysses that submerged areas in the National Capital Region and Northern Luzon, particularly the provinces of Cagayan and Isabela.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr assured Filipinos that they will get through their predicament in the aftermath of typhoon Ulysses as government vows not to leave anyone behind in the on-going relief and other response efforts being undertaken by various government agencies. “Walang maiiwan. Ito po ang direktiba ni Presidente. To quote the President, ‘The government will not leave anyone behind. We will get through this crisis.’”

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, together with Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra and other government officials had a meeting yesterday, November 9, with 40 Bureau of Immigration (BI) officials who are facing corruption charges related to the so-called “pastillas scheme.”

The Palace confirmed on Monday, November 9, the approval of the National Task Force’s (NTF) Philippine National Vaccine Roadmap by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.

With the designation of the National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19 Chief Implementer Secretary Carlito G. Galvez, Jr. as Vaccine Czar, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) on Thursday, November 5, restructured the NTF to establish the COVID-19 Vaccine Cluster with the Vaccine Czar as Chair.

Presidential Spokesperson Secretary Harry Roque Jr. visited Catanduanes today, November 5, to personally assess the situation on the ground and connect local government officials with national government officials on response efforts in the aftermath of supertyphoon Rolly.