FILE PHOTO: A nurse draws a Moderna coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine, at East Valley Community Health Center in La Puente, California, U.S., March 5, 2021. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine government and the private sector headed by business tycoon Enrique Razon have signed a tripartite agreement with the U.S. drug firm Moderna to secure 20 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccines.
Under the tripartite agreement, the Philippine government secured 13 million doses of the Moderna vaccines while the private sector ordered 7 million doses for its workers.
“With the signing of this tripartite agreement, we can say that our bayanihan spirit is truly alive,” National Task Force against COVID-19 chief implementer and vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said Friday in a statement.
“We would like to express our deepest appreciation to Mr. Enrique K. Razon, Chairman of ICTSI and representing the private sector, for his incessant support to the national government in our fight against this pandemic,” he added.
Galvez also thanked Moderna for their “commitment in providing 20 million ‘doses of hope’ for 10 million Filipinos” and Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Romualdez for helping close the deal.
Previously, Romualdez said the first batch of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccines may arrive by the end of May or the early part of June this year.