CEBU, Feb. 1 (PIA) Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Steven Robinson AO on Jan. 29, 2021 said they are eyeing Cebu as the first stop in the rollout of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines.
Robinson said that Cebu, as the second largest city in the Philippines, will be one of their priority areas. Cebu is very, very important, he added.
Robinson said they have the Develop Assistance Program (DAP) worth 80-M Australian dollars (AUD) every year, which is mainly focused on the southern part of the Philippines.
However, because of the pandemic, he said their government decided to reorient the DAP to focus on three things: 1. Health - how to get the health back; 2. Prosperity and Security - security and stability in the south particulary in Mindanao which is badly affected; and 3. Economic Recovery.
SunStar Cebu a priority area in Australia s vaccine aid
VACCINE AID. Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Steven Robinson says his country has pledged a total of AUD$500 million of financial assistance to countries in Southeast Asia and the Pacific for the procurement and transportation of Covid-19 vaccines. During a meeting with the press on Friday, Jan. 29, 2021, he cited Cebu as one of the priority areas for the vaccine rollout in the Philippines./ JOHANNA O. BAJENTING
+ January 30, 2021 AUSTRALIA Ambassador to the Philippines Steven Robinson has assured that Cebu is one of the priority areas in the Philippines for the 500 million Australian dollars (AUD) in aid his country has committed in three years to support access to safe and effective Covid-19 vaccines for the Pacific and Southeast Asia.