US military donates P11-M in medical supplies to PH

“This latest delivery of US government assistance for Filipino front-liners in the battle against Covid-19 is a testament to our ongoing commitment to help the Philippines defeat the pandemic,” US Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim said. (File photo: U.S. Embassy in the Philippines/Facebook)

MANILA – The United States Army and Marine Corps service members delivered on Monday an additional PHP11.4 million (US$230,600) in medical equipment to hospitals in 11 cities across the Philippines.

This new donation brings the total US government pandemic assistance to the Philippines to PHP989 million or more than US$20 million.

“This latest delivery of US government assistance for Filipino front-liners in the battle against Covid-19 is a testament to our ongoing commitment to help the Philippines defeat the pandemic,” US Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim said.

The assistance, delivered in cooperation with the Philippine Office of Civil Defense and Department of Health (DOH), will provide medical clinics from Luzon to Mindanao with much-needed personal protective equipment and other essential supplies to support frontline workers in the fight against coronavirus disease 2019.

The US Embassy in Manila said the donation would be distributed to 16 medical clinics, hospitals, and local DOH in Palawan, Batangas, Pampanga, Cebu, Sulu, Maguindanao, Zamboanga del Sur, Basilan, Tawi-Tawi, Misamis Oriental, Lanao del Norte.

The supplies include disposable gloves, masks, medical clothing, various types of face protection, and tools such as infrared thermometers.

Washington has provided more than PHP228 billion or approximately US$4.5 billion in development assistance to the Philippines over the past 20 years, including PHP29 billion or around US$582 million in health assistance.