On July 4, in Batangas City, Minister for Economic Affairs Nakata Masahiro together with United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Philippines Deputy Representative Thomas Meyerer led the inauguration and turnover ceremonies of the province’s first walk-in cold storage system.

The event was also attended by Anakalusugan Party-list Representative Ray Florence Reyes and Batangas Governor Hermilando Mandanas.

Nakata stated that while vaccines are important, cold storage systems are also extremely significant; for without proper cold storage, vaccines will lose their efficacy and lead to wastage.

“With the threat of another increase in COVID cases forecasted in the coming weeks, it is more imperative that the cold chain system is in place to ensure that the vaccination roll-out in Batangas will finally move forward to full implementation. This adds another critical step in the province’s battle against this pandemic.”

“You have our assurance that under the Marcos administration, Japan remains committed to provide unwavering support to the Philippines,” Nakata said.

The UNICEF donated walk-in cold storage, a component of the P36 million worth of cold chain equipment which arrived late last year, is part of the Government of Japan’s P190 million assistance through UNICEF for the Philippine Government’s COVID-19 immunization response. The cold storage system includes walk-in cold and freezer rooms, freezers, refrigerators, generators and temperature monitoring devices, among others.

For many years, the Government of Japan has a deeply rooted partnership with the UNICEF in improving the well-being of Filipino children and their families, most particularly those affected by conflict and natural disasters. Japan Information and Cultural Center