Japan extends ¥687-M grant to PH for procurement of cold chain facility
By Roy Mabasa
The Japanese government on Tuesday announced the signing of a Y687 million (about P308 million) grant aid to the Philippines for the provision of cold chain transport and ancillaries to facilitate the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines to the provinces.

Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Koshikawa Kazuhiko and Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. formalized the grant during the virtual signing and exchanging of notes for the implementation of the Programme for COVID-19 Crisis Response Emergency Support.
With the distribution of vaccines to the provinces a top priority of the Philippine government, the cold chain facility system will boost efforts in the nation’s vaccination program.
The dispersal of cold chain facility will not only ensure safe and efficient vaccines delivery but also help in preserving the integrity and quality of vaccines.
This latest grant comes on the heels of Japan’s donation of one million doses of AstraZeneca vaccines manufactured in Japan.
The Japanese Embassy in Manila said the grant aid is part of the Y1 billion cold chain development assistance to the Philippines that was mentioned during the telephone conversation between Japanese Prime Minister Suga and President Duterte last May.
Since the outbreak of the pandemic, Japan has continuously provided various support to the Philippines, ranging from the grant aid for the procurement of medical equipment and establishment of laboratory surveillance sites, technical assistance for cold chain development, Avigan tablets for COVID-19 treatment to big-ticket yen loan assistance through the COVID-19 Crisis Response Emergency Loan (CRESL) and the Post-Disaster Standby Loan Phase 2 (PDSL 2).
Japan again reiterated its commitment to provide a steady stream of support to enable the Philippines to reach its goal of herd immunity.