
The Philippines has received cold chain and medical equipment from the Japanese government to aid the country’s fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
A turnover ceremony was held on Friday, Nov. 25, at the Lung Center of the Philippines. Present during the event were officials from the Embassy of Japan and DOH Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire.
In a press briefing, Vergeire said that cold chain equipment donated by Japan include vaccine refrigerators, trucks and vans. Japan also gave medical equipment such as x-ray and MRI machines, among others.
“The Japanese government has been supporting us throughout this difficult situation that we have right now and we are very much appreciative of that,” said Vergeire.
In a separate statement, Vergeire said “these equipment are a much needed addition” to the country’s arsenal “to reinforce our ongoing efforts to respond to Covid-19.”
“Through this, we can further expand our campaigns in order to reach more vulnerable sectors of the population, contributing to our common goal of ending Covid-19 globally,” she said.
“Truly, this gesture of solidarity by Japan reflects our common ethos of building global communities and brings us one step closer to our shared aspiration to win the fight against Covid-19," she added.
Meanwhile, Vergeire also thanked the Japanese government for its assistance on drug prevention and rehabilitation.
“They are also assisting us in our programs for drug prevention and rehabilitation. They are also helping us in developing mechanisms for us to be able to have community-based rehab and relapse prevention programs,” she said.
The DOH said that as of Oct. 10, 2022, the Japan government "has provided over P3 billion" worth of "support in the form of donations and official development assistance projects."