Cebu Pacific heeds call for faster vaccine rollout

The Philippine economy is expected to slowly recover from the recession triggered by the coronavirus pandemic in the second half of 2021, but much of this improved outlook will depend on the fast and safe rollout of vaccines.

Right now, there are multi-sectoral initiatives working in conjunction with the Department of Health (DOH) and the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) to help manage the country’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

One such initiative is the Ingat Angat, a cooperation of companies who have committed to pool their resources to help restart the economy.

Among the companies that immediately heeded the call to help the government’s pandemic relief efforts under the banner of Ingat Angat is Cebu Pacific.  The nation’s leading carrier is the only airline working with the group to transport these life-saving vaccines throughout the country.

“As the country’s leading carrier, we want to be of constant service to the country’s collective pandemic recovery efforts. Our hearts and our resources are in this for the long haul and our partners in Ingat Angat can continue to count on our service until we are safe from the virus,” said Candice Iyog, Cebu Pacific Vice President for Marketing and Customer Experience. “We hope that by then, people will feel confident to travel again,” she added.

With Ingat Angat, Cebu Pacific will continue to work as tirelessly as it has since the start of the pandemic, ensuring its cargo and logistical capabilities are readily available to transport much-needed vaccines from abroad and across its widest domestic network.

To date, Cebu Pacific has flown 4.5 million COVID-19 doses from China in coordination with the DOH, on top of more than 1.1 million doses delivered safely from Manila to 13 provinces in the country.

Cebu Pacific in May delivered the largest single shipment of 1.5 million doses of Sinovac vaccines carried by any Philippine carrier. It also continues to regularly transport PPEs and medical supplies across the country. As a partner in nation-building, it has actively worked with the government to ensure the success of its vaccination program for all Filipinos, and to rebuild trust and confidence in air travel and tourism.

These efforts are also in line with the mission of the Gokongwei Group, of which Cebu Pacific is part, to fully support the government’s vaccination program which is vital to economic recovery.