The Guanzon Group of Companies (GGC), a private company based here, has vowed to donate 1,000 doses of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccines to the city government and shoulder the vaccines of its 2,600 employees.

“This is about humanity for the people who are less fortunate. We are donating these vaccines not for politics, not for our business, not for marketing. As long as we can afford it, we will keep helping the local government units, not only Dagupan City,” GGC president Guanson Lo said in an interview on Tuesday.

He urged the people to share in combating the Covid-19 pandemic by having themselves vaccinated.

“Last year, your donation was to stay at home. This time, your donation is to be vaccinated. That is the only way that we can go back to normal,” he said.

GGC chief executive officer Engr. Joseph Lo said they acquired the supply from the Federation of Chinese Chamber of Commerce and through the Concepcion Industries.

“Some 650 doses have arrived. For now, the 150 partial doses will be given to the city, the 500 doses will be for our employees, and some friends in Dagupan. We still have 4,000 Novavax coming hopefully next month. Part of it will go to the city government,” he said.

Mayor Marc Brian Lim expressed gratitude to the company for its donation.

“We are grateful to the GCC for their donation; Sinovac and Novavax. This is the first of its kind in the city. Dagupan probably is the first in the Ilocos Region to have this kind of partnership with the private company in terms of donation and administration of vaccines. It’s two birds in one stone — we help protect the employees of GCC by being injected with the vaccine at the same time, they donated for the city’s use,” he said in a separate interview.

The partnership was formalized in a memorandum of agreement signed by the representatives of GCC and the city on Tuesday. (PNA)