Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna welcomed two ambassadors who paid her a courtesy visit at the Manila City Hall yesterday.
Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian and H.E. William Carlos, Irish Ambassador to the Philippines, arrived in City Hall in the afternoon one after the other to call on Lacuna, being the new mayor of Manila.
Lacuna said the two ambassadors committed to work closely with the city government in cultivating a deeper relationship.
On behalf of the city, Lacuna also pledged to be there for the said countries if and when needed.
The first lady mayor particularly conveyed the city government’s gratitude to the government of China for the help it extended to the city at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Apart from support in terms of supplies needed to fight the virus, Lacuna noted that the Manila city government was the only local government unit allowed to directly purchase 400,000 Sinovac vaccines at a time when the arrival of vaccines to the city was not enough to keep up with the aggressive vaccination being done in the city.
City administrator Bernie Ang, who was instrumental in the said purchase of vaccines, was also on hand to welcome the Chinese Ambassador in City Hall.
Lacuna, who was on top of Manila’s vaccination program being head of the city’s health cluster, said that the city was way ahead in terms of massive inoculation, achieving a record of over 100 percent in so short a time.
She also acknowledged that China made various kinds of donation to the city of Manila in the wake of the pandemic. (Baby Cuevas)
