WORKING in partnership with the Philippine Air Force, Philippine Army and Philippine Coast Guard, the United States Army and Marine Corps delivered an additional P11.4 million, or around $230,600, in personal protective equipment (PPE) and medical supplies to hospitals in 11 cities across the Philippines.
This new donation brings the US government’s total anti-pandemic aid to the Philippines to P989 million, or more than $20 million.
“This latest delivery of [the US government’s] assistance for Filipino frontliners in the battle against Covid-19 is a testament to our ongoing commitment to help the Philippines defeat the pandemic,” Ambassador Sung Y. Kim said.
The assistance, delivered in cooperation with the Philippine Office of Civil Defense and Department of Health, will provide medical clinics from Luzon to Mindanao with much-needed PPE and other essential equipment to support frontline workers in fighting Covid-19.
According to the US Embassy, this joint US-Philippine effort builds on decades of bilateral military cooperation in counterterrorism, humanitarian relief, maritime security, and many other fields.
The medical equipment will be distributed in August 16 to medical clinics, hospitals and provincial health units in Palawan, Batangas, Pampanga, Cebu, Sulu, Maguindanao, Zamboanga del Sur, Basilan, Tawi-Tawi, Misamis Oriental and Lanao del Norte. The supplies include disposable gloves, masks, medical clothing, various types of face protection, and tools such as infrared thermometers.
In the past two decades, the US has so far provided more than P228 billion (approximately $4.5 billion) in official development assistance to the Philippines, including more than P29 billion (or $582 million) in health assistance.
Image credits: US Embassy