QUEZON CITY, (PIA) -- A total of 1,124,100 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines from the Japan Government were received by the Philippines on Thursday evening at the Kalayaan Grounds of Villamor Airbase in Pasay City. 

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and Economic Minister of Japan Embassy in the Philippines Masahiro Nakata were the head officials to witness the arrival of the shipment that is reportedly part of the initial tranche from the 30 million pledged vaccine donation of Japan for developing countries as announced during the Global Vaccine Summit last June. 

Officials from the National Task Force Against COVID-19 (NTF) and the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) also joined the ceremonial turnover which includes the inspection of crates containing the vaccine vials. 

Economic Minister Nakata meanwhile conveyed the amicable words of Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Japan Ambassador to the Philippines Koshikawa Kazuhiko stating that this initiative clearly indicates the "deep-rooted bond of friendship" between Japan and the Philippines, as the said nations unite in the celebration of the 65th year of its diplomatic relations along with the 10th year anniversary of the Philippines-Japan strategic partnership. 

The committed support of Japan for the Philippines on its aim to provide equitable COVID-19 response has been unrelenting since the outbreak of the pandemic last year.

Recently, Japan initially granted the Philippines with P310 million worth of cold chain development assistance that was formalized on Tuesday (July 6) following the signing and exchanging of notes between Ambassor Koshikawa and Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr.

(PIA-NCR with reports from OJT Janna Pineda)