THE Commonwealth of Australia continues to assist the Armed Forces of the Philippines’s (AFP) response against the pandemic.
On behalf of the Australian government, Ambassador Steven J. Robinson AO handed over medical and personal protective equipment (PPE) valued at P57 million (AU$ 1.5 million) to Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana and AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Jose Faustino Jr.
With a P35-million grant (AU$1 million) in June 2020, Australia provided support to expand the Victoriano Luna Medical Center (VLMC) Infectious Ward to handle cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) infections. Said country also sent additional medical equipment and PPE worth P70 million (AU$2 million) in May 2021. With the third tranche of support, Australia’s assistance to AFP’s Covid-19 response currently sums up to P162 million (AU$4 million).
“Throughout this unpredictable…pandemic, Australia’s approach has been to provide flexible and responsive support to the Philippines,” Robinson said. “The medical supplies are intended for VLMC’s Covid-19 testing efforts and management of [infected] patients, particularly needed by challenges posed by the Delta variant.”
The handover is part of the series of activities in the Philippines surrounding Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2021 (IPE21) of Australia’s maritime-task group composed of HMAS (or His Majesty’s Australian Ships) Canberra, Sirius, and Anzac.
“[IPE21] is a great opportunity for engagement between our armed forces,” the ambassador further remarked. “[The] formal handover of our third phase of assistance to the AFP is a tangible way of underlining the strong relationship that exists between [our nations].”
According to the Australian Embassy, the IPE21 is a flagship regional-engagement activity, and a demonstration of Australia’s steadfast support for a peaceful, inclusive and resilient region, with Asean at its core. It includes a number of contactless at-sea activities, training sessions and seminars on maritime security.