As the Philippines received its first supply of coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines, Filipinos may expect to return to normalcy by 2023, President Duterte said Sunday.
Duterte made the statement as the government rolls out its vaccination program against the disease with the arrival of 600,000 CoronaVac shots donated by the Chinese government to the Philippines on Sunday, Feb. 28.
In a press conference in Pasay City, Duterte predicted that the Philippines may return to its pre-pandemic state only by 2023.
"In about maybe early --- mga year 20 --- year '23, not the '22," he said.
"Early in the first --- maybe first or second quarter of year 23, 2023, baka sa tulong ng Diyos (maybe by the grace of God)," he added.
President Duterte said the government will not dilly-dally in distributing the first batch of CoronaVac vaccines to the public. CoronaVac is manufactured by Chinese drug maker Sinovac.
"Ito ngayon hanggang katapusan ng buwan, paspasan tayo (From today until the end of the month, we will speed things up)," he said.
President Duterte has ordered all concerned agencies to ensure the timely rollout of the CoronaVac shots, saying the country cannot waste time and resources in the distribution of the vaccines since it concerns the lives of Filipinos.
"As we prepare for the distribution, I am directing all concerned agencies to institutionalize the whole-of-government approach in its rollout," he said.
"I cannot stress enough: We cannot waste time or resources in the distribution of these vaccines because we are dealing with precious lives," he added.
The government is aiming to vaccinate at least 50 million Filipinos against COVID-19 this year.