Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Koshikawa Kazuhiko and Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr. sign and exchange notes for the implementation of the Programme for COVID-19 Crisis Response Emergency Support, a grant assistance from the Government of Japan. (Photos courtesy of Embassy of Japan in the Philippines, RTVM)
PASIG CITY, (PIA) -- The Philippine and Japan Governments recently inked an agreement for the provision of a cold chain supply for COVID-19 vaccines.
Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr. and Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Koshikawa Kazuhiko signed and exchanged notes for the implementation of the Programme for COVID-19 Crisis Response Emergency Support, a grant assistance from the Government of Japan.
According to the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines, the 687-million yen grant aid will be implemented throughout the Philippines with the provision of cold chain transport and ancillaries. With the distribution of vaccines to the provinces a top priority of the Philippine Government, the cold chain facility system will boost efforts in the nation’s vaccination program.
This will not only ensure safe and efficient vaccines delivery but also preserving the integrity and quality of vaccines. This initiative comes in the heels of Japan’s donation of one million AstraZeneca vaccines manufactured in Japan.
The grant aid is part of the 1-billion yen cold chain development assistance to the Philippines mentioned during the Japan-Philippines Summit Telephone Talk between Prime Minister Suga and President Duterte last May.
Meanwhile, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte personally witnessed the arrival of the 1,124,100 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines from the Government of Japan at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City Thursday evening.
Since the outbreak of the pandemic in 2020, Japan has continuously provided comprehensive support to the Philippines, ranging from the grant aid for the procurement of medical equipment and establishment of laboratory surveillance sites, technical assistance for cold chain development, Avigan tablets for COVID-19 treatment, as well as big-ticket yen loan assistance through the COVID-19 Crisis Response Emergency Loan (CRESL) and the Post-Disaster Standby Loan Phase 2 (PDSL 2).
For many decades, Japan remains committed to provide a steady stream of support to the Philippines’ goal of herd immunity. (Embassy of Japan/PIA-NCR)
