MANILA, Philippines — The United States government on Sunday said that it has given P978 million in COVID-19 assistance to the Philippines.
That's according to a video posted by the US Embassy in the Philippines on its YouTube channel.
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"So far, total US government COVID-19 assistance to the Philippines amounts to approximately P1 billion. This assistance is being provided through the US Department of Defense, United States Agency for International Development and the US Department of State," US Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim said.
The embassy added that personal protective equipment and other medical supplies amounting to P10 million from the US government have been donated to hospitals across the Philippines.
"We are working with the Philippine Department of Health to deliver assistance to medical clinics from Luzon to Mindanao. The equipment so far has been distributed to 14 medical clinics, hospitals, and local health offices in Palawan, Isabela, Tarlac, Laguna, Bataan, Bulacan, Sulu, Zamboanga del Sur, and Basilan," Col. Stephen Ma, Joint US Military Assistance Group chief, said.
He added that "the supplies include disposable gloves, masks, medical clothing, various types of face protection, and tools such as infrared thermometers."
Ma also logged 1,000 cots provided to the Philippine Office of Civil Defense and 150 cots turned over to the Philippine General Hospital.
Meanwhile, the US Agency for International Development said that it has aided in the country's efforts to boost its testing capacity by partnering with international organizations to upgrade laboratories and by helping to expand the specimen transport systems nationwide.
In March, the US Department of State released a report showing that Washington released approximately $18.3 million in emergency health and humanitarian assistance to ASEAN countries.
Among its ASEAN neighbors, the Philippines received that largest amount of assistance from the US with approximately P200 million as of March 26.
As of July 20, the health department has confirmed 68,898 novel coronavirus infections and a death toll 1,835 in the country. — Bella Perez-Rubio