“Matagal na panahon na parang impatient tayo kasi nakikita natin iyong ibang mga bansa nagpapaturok nanag-rollout na ng vaccination, pero at last dumating na dito sa atin,” she said.
“Nagpapasalamat tayo kasi hindi natin ito babayaran,” the government added.
[Translation: For a long time, we seem to be impatient because we have seen other countries who have started their vaccination, but at last the vaccines have arrived in our country. We are grateful because we will not pay for it.]
The Philippines on February 26 received the first shipment of vaccines against COVID-19 from Chinese drugmaker Sinovac Biotech.
Almost a week after, the plane carrying 487,200 doses of the vaccine developed by British-Swedish pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca also landed in the country.
While she expressed thanks to donor-countries, Robredo was “saddened” after learning that the Philippines was included among the least developed countries that secured the critical vials from the global COVAX facility.
The COVAX facility jointly led by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the World Health Organization, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations seeks to provide equitable access to vaccines against the virus.
“Iyong donations para sa pinakamahihirap na mga bansa…Nakakalungkot lang na ‘yung consideration natin, ito ‘yung mga kasama na natin na considered na mahihirap na bansa,” she said.
[Translation: The donations are for the poorest countries… It’s just sad that our consideration is on the same level as other poor countries.]
Citing data from the United Nations Children’s Fund, as of March 5, she said over 10 million COVAX vaccines have been delivered to the Philippines, Angola, Cambodia, Côte D’Ivoire, DR Congo, Gambia Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Moldova, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, and Sudan.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 7) — Vice President Leni Robredo said the free COVID-19 vaccines that have been sent to the country offered hope for Filipinos, after almost a year in quarantine.
In her weekly radio show Biserbisyong Leni, Robredo on Sunday said she was grateful for the donated COVID-19 vaccines as they provide a shot of hope for the Philippines which has been on community quarantine for a year, with the nationwide tally of infections reaching 594,412 as of Sunday.
