The International Finance Corp. (IFC), the private sector investment arm of the World Bank (WB), is helping Quezon City deal with the pandemic more effectively and for the long haul.
It has signed an agreement boosting the capacity of the local government unit (LGU) to vaccinate and test for COVID-19 no matter that Quezon City is already considered a low-risk area for the virus.
“We expect that this partnership with IFC will help cover all bases and further solidify our programs and projects to combat COVID-19, especially our vaccination and testing initiatives,” Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte said.
“While Quezon City is already considered as ‘very low risk’ for COVID-19, we should not rest on our laurels and there must be no room for complacency. We must not let our guard down until we achieve total victory over this virus,” she added.
“We are delighted to partner with Quezon City as it seeks to improve its pandemic response efforts,” said Jean-Marc Arbogast, Country Manager for the Philippines at IFC.
“Supporting subnational governments and cities, which are often at the forefront of climate change and pandemic response efforts, is crucial. We look forward to a long term and fruitful partnership with Quezon City and to supporting more cities in the Philippines,” he said.
The IFC has thus far invested more than $5.5 billion in more or less 160 projects in the Philippines. The bulk or $3.5 billion of those were its own funds.
The IFC tie-up will help future-proof Quezon City’s pandemic response, the LGU said.
