TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Oct. 21 (PIA) -- Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Steven Robinson revealed some A$80M, or roughly P3B worth of development assistance to the Philippines for the pandemic.

Speaking during the informal media engagement here on Oct. 20, Robinson cited the long-standing diplomatic relations between his country and the Philippines.

Partnering with the Philippines in infrastructure and other development programs, he said Australia is now focused on helping the country through improving governance, education and health care systems. 

Robinson said Australia used to have development assistance for infrastructure, but with the pandemic, he said his country is realigning their development assistance to meet the needs in the concept of partnerships for recovery.

Key Australian development partnerships with the Philippines lie in Health Security, Stability and Economic Recovery pillars, all of which are generously funded by the Australian government.

Australia has funded some P490M for vaccine procurement as development assistance to the Philippines, which is among the worst-hit countries in Southeast Asia.

Asked for logistical support by the country’s vaccine mobilization teams led by vaccine czar Carlito Galvez, Robinson said Australia is currently helping in the logistical issues of distributing the vaccine across the country.

On this, Australia has put up P263M in logistical support to the Philippines and gave another P600M worth of protective personal equipment to the Armed Forces of the Philippines frontliners.

In Manila and in several other areas, Australia is also helping the Red Cross in putting up testing centers in Manila and in Mindanao and in providing negative pressure ambulance services to protect the frontliners.

Robinson said like the Philippines, Australia has also picked many strategies to deal with COVID-19. 

“What is key, however, is vaccination,” he said, adding that if people do not get vaccinated, “they do not just run the risk of getting infected, they could also spread the virus.”

In what is his second visit in Bohol, the ambassador highlighted the good diplomatic relations between the two countries, one that spans 75 years this year.

Robinson discussed the strategic partnerships under the Philippine–Australian relations in its development aid programs and activities in the next two years.

The economic recovery assistance program is seen to strengthen the two sovereign countries’ ties in trade and investment.

With over 300 Australian companies already in the Philippines providing employment to 40,000 Filipinos, the ambassador revealed a survey by the Asian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which he said demonstrates that Australian companies are looking at the Philippines more than any other Asian country for their expansion plans.

"We are very excited with the development," Robinson said.

Filipinos form the fifth largest ethnic group in Australia. (RAHC/PIA7 Bohol)