Solons donate P40-M for effort vs COVID-19

Lawmakers from the House of Representatives donated more than P40 million to the effort against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said Saturday.

In a Facebook live video, Cayetano said that almost 200 congressmen would donate their whole salaries for the month of May.

"Almost 200 Congressmen already, will donate our whole sweldo ng May," Cayetano said.

According to the speaker, their initial target was P50 million in donations from congressmen.

Cayetano said they would also reach out to their friends for donations, adding that they hoped to raise at least P100 million.

"[P]ag umabot ng P50 million, mananawagan rin kami sa  mga personal naming kaibigan. If we can get 100 people to donate P500,000 or 50 people to donate a million, kasama 'yung aming sweldo, we hope na umabot ng P100 million," he said.

"May muna ang pinag-usapan namin. [H]opefully po hindi na umabot itong crisis ng June, pero pag umabot po, then we will make a second call," Cayetano said.

As of Saturday, there were 3,094 COVID-19 cases in the Philippines with 144 fatalities and 57 recoveries. — DVM, GMA News