VIENNA—In a recent virtual meeting among the member-states of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Ambassador to Austria Maria Cleofe R. Natividad expressed the Philippine government’s appreciation to the agency and its director, General Rafael Mariano Grossi, for their assistance in addressing the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic in the country.
The ambassador likewise conveyed her thanks to donors who have made the IAEA’s emergency response possible.
The agency’s assistance package to the Philippines, which included a mobile X-ray system, various laboratory equipment, personal protective equipment (PPEs) and other materials, was valued at €288,540.37, or approximately P16 million, and was delivered directly to the Department of Health. The equipment and materials are deemed to enhance the capacity of the Philippine health-care system and support the Duterte administration’s T3 strategy, or “Test, Trace and Treat.”
The IAEA is a multilateral organization based in Vienna dedicated to international cooperation in the field of nuclear science, where the Philippines has been a member since 1958. Said agency’s valuable assistance is being delivered under the Technical Cooperation Programme—the main vehicle for its statutory function of encouraging and assisting research on, as well as the development and practical application of, nuclear energy for peaceful uses throughout the world.
Image credits: Dean Calma-IAEA/DFA