The shipment of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines from the COVAX facility arrived at the Cebu-Mactan International Airport on Thursday, June 10, 2021. (Photo from the Bureau of Customs)
MANILA, Philippines — A total of 210,600 doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine arrived at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Thursday, June 10, the shipment clearance having been facilitated by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) Port of Cebu – Subport of Mactan in coordination with the Department of Health (DOH) in Central Visayas.
The vaccine doses — which came from the World Health Organization (WHO)-led COVAX facility — came from Belgium via Air Hongkong and were pre-cleared a day before arrival to ensure the quick entry of the time-and-temperature-sensitive vaccines, according to a BOC statement issued on Saturday.
Personally supervising the release of the vaccines were Port of Cebu District Collector Charlito Martin R. Mendoza and Subport of Mactan Port Collector Gerardo A. Campo.
After a short arrival ceremony, the vaccines were immediately transported to the cold storage facility of Central Visayas Center for Health Development under guard by the BOC Mactan COVAX Special Handling Team.
Even before the vaccines arrived, the DOH held a series of online coordination meetings with the Ports of Cebu, NAIA, and Davao, DHL Express, Philippine National Police, and other government agencies to iron out operational requirements for the prompt release and distribution of the vaccines.
The Port of Cebu assures the public that it will ensure the quick release of vaccines in compliance with the directive of Customs chief Rey Leonardo B. Guerrero.