The Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce & Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII), which groups the country’s Filipino-Chinese business groups in the country, Wednesday, (March 3) revealed plans to purchase half a million COVID-19 vaccines for economic frontliners.
FFCCCII President Dr. Henry Lim Bon Liong emphasized in a statement the need for the federation to step in to be able to start the vaccine program for the country’s economic frontlines to accelerate the Philippine economic recovery.
Lim said following the start of the vaccines program in the Philippines on March 1, 2021 for the country’s medical frontlines and the military. He said this should hasten Philippine economic recovery and boost business confidence. “We at the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce & Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII) welcome and express strong support for this important national vaccination program,” he said.
To manifest support for vaccination and to lessen the burden of the government, Lim said the FFCCCII is planning to purchase 500,000 doses of Sinovac vaccines for economic frontliners to safeguard the entrepreneurs and our workers who are at the forefront of Philippine socio-economic development.
“This civic project shall be financed by voluntary donations and purchases by our FFCCCII’s over 170 Filipino Chinese chambers and trade organizations nationwide,” he said.
For this project, FFCCCII shall partner with major hospitals nationwide and vaccinations would be undertaken in auditoriums or places near these hospitals.
“This socio-civic project is our expression of solidarity with the Philippine national goal of widespread vaccination, so that we can achieve herd immunity, quickly revive our economy, restore and create
jobs,” he added.
Following the examples of government leaders and top doctors who publicly received Sinovac vaccine injections, Lim said that he himself together with other top FFCCCII business and civic leaders are also planning to be publicly vaccinated with this vaccine to promote better public awareness and confidence.
Meantime, Lim lauded President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s successful diplomacy in securing 600,000 doses of Sinovac vaccines donated from China, which was delivered on February 28 to the Philippines by a special flight of the Xian Y-20 Chinese military transport plane. He also thanked China Ambassador Huang Xilia for securing 25 million doses of vaccines from Sinovac Biotech this year.
Likewise, he lauded government leaders for publicly receiving Sinovac vaccines to bolster public confidence and uphold science, such as vaccine czar Sec. Carlito Galvez, Jr., testing czar Vince Dizon, Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Benhur Abalos, and others.
Other Philippines’ top doctors who welcomed and were personally injected with Sinovac vaccines include Food and Drug Administration (FDA) director general Dr. Eric Domingo, Philippine General Hospital (PGH) director and top neurosurgeon Dr. Gerardo “Gap” Legaspi, top infectious disease specialist Dr. Edsel Salvaña, top ophthalmologist Dr. Ruben Lim Bon Siong, among others.
“We urge the public to heed our government experts in IATF, FDA & others, who have said this vaccination is safe and healthy, that we should support this vaccination program. Experts said Sinovac is safe because it was developed using traditional ways and it is now being used in many countries worldwide,” Lim said.