President Rodrigo Roa Duterte poses for posterity with the leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states during the 34th ASEAN Summit opening ceremony at The Athenee Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand on June 23, 2019. YANCY LIM/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO
The country has made $200,000 (about P9.6 million) worth of commitments to international vaccine initiatives, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said on Twitter.
“I just pledged $100,000 to Covax at Asean Foreign Ministers Retreat; I will make good on it. It is not always & only about us; it is as often about the rest of humanity esP those most disadvantaged. As humans—I hope, we leave none of humanity behind to the extent we can help it,” Locsin said on Thursday.
I just pledged $100,000 to COVAX at ASEAN Foreign Ministers Retreat; I will make good on it. It is not always & only about us; it is as often about the rest of humanity esP those most disadvantaged. As humans—I hope, we leave none of humanity behind to the extent we can help it. https://t.co/3nn2faZ6BZ
— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) January 21, 2021
Covax is a global initiative coordinated by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and the World Health Organization (WHO).
It is a platform that supports the research, development and manufacturing of Covid-19 vaccine candidates. Covax seeks to provide countries worldwide equitable access to safe and effective vaccines, once they are licensed and approved.
On Friday, Locsin said he made another $100,000 pledge, this time for Asean’s Covid-19 response fund.
The funds used for the donation were realigned from the Department of Foreign Affairs’ travel funds, Locsin said.
@DFAPHL @ASEAN In addition to my $100K pledge to the COVAX FACILITY, I pledged another $100K to the ASEAN COVID-19 RESPONSE FUND from DFA travel funds. I wish to express my gratitude to DBM Sec. Avisado for realigning DFA funds for this and the depleted Passport Revolving Fund.
— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) January 22, 2021
Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez, Jr. earlier said that the Philippines would receive up to 40 million Covid-19 vaccine doses from the Covax global initiative.
The Philippine government has P73.2 billion allocated for vaccine procurement in its 2021 national budget. John Ezekiel J. Hirro