MANILA – South Korea’s donation of 539,430 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine is timely and significant as it coincides with the massive three-day vaccination campaign that aims to administer nine million doses across the country, National Task Force Against Covid-19 chief implementer, Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., said Tuesday.
“On behalf of the national government, we would like to thank the Korean government and the Korean people for their generosity and act of kindness. South Korea and the Philippines have had a strong relationship ever since and they’re helping us a lot,” Galvez told the representatives of the South Korean government during the arrival of the vaccine at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3.
South Korean Ambassador to the Philippines Kim Inchul expressed hope that the contribution would “help a little bit the Philippine government’s effort to fight the coronavirus.”
“This donation will also contribute to the existing friendship and cooperation between the two countries,” Inchul said.
Galvez noted that aside from the vaccine, the Korean government has also donated test kits and face masks during the onset of the pandemic.
It also gave cash assistance of USD1 million to help the country fight the pandemic, he said.
Inchul said Korea would donate another USD1 million next year to aid the country’s pandemic response.“We are now working also with Secretary Galvez to bring here about 34 to 35 cold trucks so that the remote areas will have better access to the vaccines,” he said. (PNA)