PH to Donate USD1-M to COVAX Facility

The Philippines will donate USD1 million to the COVAX facility of the World Health Organization, according to President Rodrigo Duterte Monday night.

This he said is a goodwill for COVAX’s efforts to provide free coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines to countries, including the Philippines.

“As a beneficiary of the generosity of COVAX and the desire also to help people, we will answer their pleadings of donation. Philippines is giving USD1 million. It’s our turn also to return the goodwill that they have shown,” President Duterte said in a pre-recorded speech.

He added that the COVAX Facility has formally asked numerous countries, including the Philippines, for donations for the the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines distributed to other countries, to which the president obliged.

“They have asked the Philippines formally for a donation. Ako, it’s USD1 million, that’s about PHP50 million. Magko-contribute po ako kasi napakabuti ng COVAX sa atin (I will contribute because COVAX has been good to us). At a time, we needed it most, one of the earliest agencies to help us aside from the contributions made by China,” Duterte said.

He then added that global initiative has aided multiple countries in the worldwide fight against COVID-19, and acknowledged that the facility might be low on funds due to “helping other nations all over the world.”

COVAX Facility

The COVAX Facility a World Health Organization-led facility that guarantees COVID-19 vaccines for all nations.

The facility was also one of the first organizations to let the Philippines buy vaccines from. The COVAX Facility has so far handed out 2.7 million COVID-19 vaccines to the country, with an additional 4 million doses of AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines incoming this June, according to WHO country representative Rabindra Abeyasinghe. (GFB)