The forthcoming arrival of the coronavirus vaccines donated by China is already "etched in stone," Malacañang said Monday amid government plans to roll out the vaccination this month.

According to Presidential spokesman Harry Roque, around 600,000 doses of Sinovac vaccines will be delivered to the country on Feb. 23. The vaccine supply, donated by the government of China, must secure the local drug regulatory approval before it is distributed to the beneficiaries, he added.

"Well, yung 23rd na pagdating ng Sinovac that's etched in stone. 'Yan ay napagkasunduan na ng gobyerno ng Pilipinas at gobyerno ng China  (The arrival of the Sinovac vaccines on the 23rd is etched in stone. That's has been agreed upon by the governments of the Philippines and China)," Roque said during a televised press briefing Monday, Feb. 15.

"Kung mayroon na rin po EUA (Emergency Use Authorization), tuloy po ang ating vaccination drive (If it gets the EUA, our vaccination drive will commence)," he added.

China earlier offered to donate half a million doses of vaccines to the Philippines as part of the commitment of Chinese President Xi Jinping to President Duterte. The vaccine donation was offered during the visit of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Manila last month. The Palace recently announced that China has increased its vaccine offer to 600,000 and intends to deliver them this month.

Apart from the Chinese-made vaccines, the government is hopeful that the initial shipment of the vaccines under COVAX facility, a global vaccine scheme, will arrive this month. Roque said the Pfizer vaccines supplied under COVAX facility might arrive in the country before Feb.23 but he could not say the exact date.

"We cannot tell with precision kung kailan talaga darating ang COVAX facility. pero ang sigurado po magsisimula tayo ng buwan ng Pebrero. Kung hindi Valentine's, well belated Kung Hei Fat Choi (We cannot with precision the exact date of the arrival of the vaccines from COVAX facility but it is certain we will start within the month of February. If it's not in time for Valentine's, well it's belated Kung Her Fat Choi)," he said.

Under the government's timetable, Roque said they aim to vaccinate 50 million to 70 million Filipinos this year.

The government has secured coronavirus vaccine supplies under the "term sheets" signed with the manufacturers, according to Roque. 

Roque explained that such term sheets are already considered “perfected contract” or "perfected obligation” to supply vaccines to the country. The contract of sale will be signed once the supplies are ready, he said.

The government earlier announced that the initial shipment of the coronavirus vaccines was expected to arrive on Feb. 15. It later clarified that it is up to the World Health Organization-backed COVAX facility to determine the exact date of the vaccine arrival.

Roque said Sinovac has a pending application for emergency use before the country's local drug regulators. Pfizer and AstraZeneca have already been approved for emergency use in the country. 

Early this month, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said the government was negotiating for 178 million COVID-19 vaccines enough to inoculate 92 million people. The additional supplies will be secured in anticipation to the delay in delivery of the vaccines from suppliers abroad.