Philippines’ first private sector vaccination launched by Filipino Chinese entrepreneurs
500,000 SINOVAC VACCINES FOR ECONOMIC FRONTLINERS IN LUZON, VISAYAS TO MINDANAO
“Let us all– cooperate and accept vaccines, for faster public health and economic recovery of the Philippines”, Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce & Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII) President Dr. Henry Lim Bon Liong said in the June 25 afternoon launching of the Philippines’ first ever private sector vaccination undertaken by FFCCCII held at Xavier School in Greenhills, San Juan City. Also present were Xavier School President Fr. Aristotle Dy, FFCCCII Honorary President Amb. Francis Chua and others.
Last year, during Covid-19 pandemic lockdown, the 11 organizations of Filipino Chinese Community Calamity Fund (FCCCF) raised Php 300 million pesos to give free rice sacks, surgical and N95 face masks, PPE suits, surgical gloves, safety goggles, alcohol, thermal scanners, ventilators, Vitamin C, Hapee toothpastes, and other items to more than 600 barangays, 300 hospitals, provinces, cities and municipalities in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Among the partners of FCCCF were GMA Kapuso Foundation and ABS CBN for distribution of food relief packs to urban poor families of Metro Manila in lockdown.
VACCINES FOR FASTER PHILIPPINE ECONOMIC RECOVERY
Dr. Lim said : “The Filipino Chinese business community has undertaken this vaccination project in the spirit of volunteerism and out of civic duty to help the country overcome this global crisis. Filipino Chinese entrepreneurs nationwide want to contribute to faster national public health and economic recovery. We believe the Philippine economy is fundamentally sound and this global health crisis is temporary, that we should all unite, cooperate and help.”
The project officers of this FFCCCII vaccination project for economic frontliners---entrepreneurs and workers nationwide from Luzon to Mindanao---are led by FFCCCII Vice-President Cecilio Pedro, FFCCCII Vice-President Victor Lim, FFCCCII Vice-President Michael G. Tan and FFCCCII SecretaryGeneral Dr. Fernando Gan. Various other major Filipino Chinese business, civic and cultural organizations have joined with FFCCCII to undertake this project.
FFCCCII’s import of 500,000 doses Sinovac vaccines arrived on June 17 arrival as the first Philippine private sector vaccine import. This civic project---at zero cost to government---was undertaken through a tripartite agreement with the national government, for the 500,000 CoronaVac vaccines from Sinovac Biotech in Beijing, China.
Dr. Lim thanked the support of government led by Vaccine Czar Sec. Carlito Galvez, Jr. and China Ambassador Huang Xilian for this civic project of the Filipino Chinese business community for economic frontliners nationwide--entrepreneurs and their workers nationwide.
VACCINES SUPPORT DUE TO STRONG PHILIPPINES CHINA DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS
FFCCCII President Dr. Henry Lim Bon Liong said: “We would like to thank government leaders led by Vaccine Czar Secretary Carlito Galvez, Jr. and China Ambassador Huang Xilian for their support for this vaccine civic project for economic frontliners, which seeks to lessen the burdens on government in terms of expenses and logistics. Special thanks to China for helping start the Philippines’ mass vaccination program with their donation on February 28 and their immediate commitment then of 26 million doses for 2021 at a time of very difficult global vaccine supply. This vaccine support manifests their friendship and shall boost the fastgrowing economic cooperation between our two countries.”
Dr. Lim added: “Let us all get vaccinated and support our national vaccine program, for faster recovery of Philippine public health, consumer confidence and economic growth. Let us unite, help each other, so that we can quickly overcome the global pandemic and economic crisis. We at FFCCCII are hopeful and will earnestly help Philippine economic recovery this year 2021.”
“LET US ALL GET VACCINATED AND SUPPORT OUR NATIONAL VACCINE PROGRAM, FOR FASTER RECOVERY OF PHILIPPINE PUBLIC HEALTH, CONSUMER CONFIDENCE AND ECONOMIC GROWTH. LET US UNITE, HELP EACH OTHER, SO THAT WE CAN QUICKLY OVERCOME THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC AND ECONOMIC CRISIS. WE AT FFCCCII ARE HOPEFUL AND WILL EARNESTLY HELP PHILIPPINE ECONOMIC RECOVERY THIS YEAR 2021.”