DAVAO CITY—It was a busy day here for the United States’s Chargé d’Affaires (CDA) a.i. Heather Variava on December 3, as she witnessed her government’s donation of critical antipandemic facilities, then quickly visited a conservation program for the endangered Philippine Eagle.
“I’m delighted to be here…This Is my first trip to Davao City since arriving in the Philippines a couple of months ago,” Variava told local reporters at the sidelines of the turnover of 10 intensive-care unit (ICU) beds, four vaccine cold-storage units, as well as other medical equipment and supplies to Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.
Some of the equipment, such as the beds, will be sent to the Department of Health-managed Southern Philippines Medical Center, while the rest of the items will equip the city’s first 24/7, community-based pandemic response center: the Covid-19 Cluster Clinic in Dona Vicenta Village. Seven others will be opened soon.
The CDA said the cluster clinics are part of a P26.4-million support by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the US Department of Defense (DOD) given to allow the Davao City Health Office work on a plan “to facilitate fast, accessible, and free [antipandemic] services by setting up eight cluster clinics in strategic locations,” then added the facilities will provide effective and efficient triaging, testing, contact tracing, monitoring and management of the pandemic.
“These challenging times reinforce the strength of our partnership,” said Maj. Scott Holub, Special Operations Task Force 511.2 commanding officer. “Our [aid] to the Covid-19 Cluster Clinic represents our continued support to the southern Philippines in [fighting] the…pandemic. The donated refrigerators bolster Davao’s efforts by providing the capacity to store 80,000 vaccines; while the ICU beds, for extended patient care.”
The donations are on top of the P6.9-million ($138,600) worth of ICU beds and vaccine cold-storage units the US DOD donated to the country in recent months.
Aside from those, Variava said the US has shipped close to 18 million vaccines to the Philippines through the COVAX facility, of which the US is the biggest donor at $4 billion. She said the US has contributed P2 billion to the country “for a variety of Covid-related programs—including testing, treatment, capacity-building and equipment such as ICU beds and freezers.”
“As a friend, partner and ally, the US is one with you in fighting [the pandemic, while facilitating long-term initiatives that ensure health, peace, and prosperity in [this part of the] Philippines,” said Variava.
On the same day the US Embassy official proceeded to the Philippine Eagle Center, which the USAID has likewise been supporting.