The Philippines on Sunday received its first official supply of vaccines courtesy of China’s donation of 600,000 shots from Beijing-based drugmaker Sinovac Biotech.
MANILA (4th UPDATE) — More than a year since being hit with the COVID-19 pandemic, the Philippines on Sunday received its first official supply of vaccines that would jumpstart its inoculation drive against the coronavirus, courtesy of China’s donation of 600,000 shots from Beijing-based drugmaker Sinovac Biotech. A Chinese plane carrying the first batch of vaccines landed in Villamor Air Base at around 4 in the afternoon Sunday, according to state television network PTV. “Ang laman po ng eroplano na ‚yan ay pag-asa na makakabalik na tayo sa ating mga buhay dahil sa bakuna,” said Malacañang spokesman Harry Roque. (That airplane is carrying hope that we can now return to our lives because of the vaccine.) President Rodrigo Duterte, his former aide Sen. Christopher „Bong“ Go, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, national COVID-19 task chief implementer and vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. and other Cabinet officials formally welcomed the country’s initial vaccine supply at the airbase with Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian and other Chinese diplomats. The military will get 100,000 doses from the donation and the rest will go to select health workers of the country, which has recorded 574,247 total COVID-19 cases as of Saturday and has lagged behind its Southeast Asian neighbors in securing the vaccines.
