MANILA - Manila City Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso on Thursday said he approved a P200 million supplemental budget to be used to buy coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine for residents in the city.

In a Facebook post, Domagoso said he signed Ordinance No. 8659, allocating the supplemental budget for 2020 for the purchase of vaccines once these become available.

"Bakuna para sa lahat. Vaccine for all," he wrote.

Domagoso also thanked the city's officials for looking for funds for COVID-19 vaccines.

The Department of Science and Technology earlier said a vaccine for COVID-19 may only be available by July 2021.

• Baka July 2021 pa magkaroon ng bakuna vs COVID-19: DOST official

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said the Philippines could vaccinate the 20 million poorest Filipinos in the country for free under a financing plan.

• PH eyes to immunize 3 million Filipinos from COVID-19 under global facility

Over 150 countries have joined the COVAX facility that aims to deliver 2 billion doses of safe and effective vaccines that would have passed regulatory approval by the end of 2021.

• Philippines can fund free COVID-19 vaccines for 20M poor Filipinos: Dominguez

While the world has yet to find a vaccine for the rapidly-spreading virus, scientists worldwide have reported progress on different studies for a potential drug.