President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has expressed optimism Monday saying he expects good results by the end of the year with the government response to the coronavirus pandemic especially with the expected arrival of COVID-19 vaccines.
“I think that we have reasonably — we did our assignment. And ganito na lang, we are waiting for the vaccines to arrive and to immediately implement the required mandate and that is to mabakunahan lahat. And we will do it as fast as the vaccines will come in,” President Duterte said in a televised public address.
“We will survive. And by the end of the year, mukhang medyo na tayong — hindi naman pinakamaganda, but magandang resulta sa pagod natin,” he added.
The President advised the officials facilitating the government immunization campaign to distribute the vaccines “as fast as we can” to ensure the integrity and efficacy of the vaccines to be delivered to the country.
“So just to make sure that this is an important undertaking and that it should be done correctly, and with the least, kung mayroon man, with the least of mistakes,” he added.
The Philippines expects to receive the first batch of vaccine deliveries this month through an arrangement between the government and the World Health Organization-led COVAX facility.
The vaccines were manufactured by US drugmaker Pfizer Inc. and British company Astra Zeneca.
Meanwhile, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III reported to the President that the Philippines is already gaining momentum in the fight against COVID-19 with the improvement in its global ranking.
Duque reported that in October last year, the Philippines ranked 18th among countries, and after the aggressive measures adopted late last year, the country is now ranked at 32nd place.
“Noong dumaan ang November, December ay napalakas po natin ‘yung ating pandemic response with the help of the local government units and also commending the discipline and the compliance of our citizens with our minimum public health standards kaya bumaba na po ang ranking natin, nasa number 32 na po tayo,” he told the President.
Duque said that in terms of active cases, the Philippines is at 44th place, with 27, 992 cases as of Monday. Malaysia, a smaller country than the Philippines with a lot less population, has 51,241active cases. Indonesia recorded 176, 291 active cases.
“So ibig sabihin po nito talagang gumaganda ‘yung ating pandemic response, Mr. President. And if we go look at the COVID cases po per million population, nasa number 134 na po tayo, Philippines; 4,987 per million population, iyan po ‘yung ating morbidity rate sa COVID-19,” said Duque.
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