More businesses donate AstraZeneca vaccine

MANILA, Philippines — More big businesses are chipping in to order the COVID-19 vaccine from AstraZeneca, after the local unit of the British drugmaker opened the line for more companies that want to donate to government medical front-liners and private-sector workers.

The second batch of orders includes 400,000 doses of vaccines bought by the country’s oldest conglomerate Ayala Corp., and 100,000 doses shouldered by Palawan Pawnshop, according to a statement from Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion.

An earlier batch was secured by the private sector in November, when large companies and business groups contributed to order 2.6 million doses valued at P600 million from AstraZeneca for donation.

The vaccines are expected to be shipped to the Philippines next year.

For gov’t front-liners

Half of the total number of doses will be for government medical front-liners to be distributed by the Department of Health, officials announced during the signing event in November. The rest will be for employees in the private sector, including regular and contractual workers.

“Many business organizations are wanting to be in the second [batch], and this could be the last,” Concepcion said.

“Just look at it, the cost of testing using antigen is P500, RT-PCR (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction), P2,500 and up. This is P500 for two doses, an offer from Astra from their zero profit program for 2021. This is the only way to accelerate our economic recovery and save lives,” he said.

Okada Manila also ordered 40,000 doses; Uratex Philippines, 21,000 doses; Century Pacific Food, 20,000 doses; Unioil Petroleum Philippines Inc., 20,000 doses; Golden Arches Development Corp., 15,000 doses; and Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines Inc., 10,000 doses. INQ