Navy ship arrives in China, picks up 23k boxes of PPEs procured by DBM

A Philippine Navy ship arrived in Xiamen, China on Saturday and picked up 23,385 boxes of personal protective equipment (PPE) procured by the Department of Budget and Management for use in the government's COVID-19 response.

The BRP Bacolod City was met by a People's Liberation Army Navy ship then escorted to the berthing area at Zhangzhou Harbor for the hauling of PPEs to 33 container vans onboard the vessel, the Philippine Navy said on Sunday.

The BRP Bacolod City left the Philippines on April 21 and is expected back in the country in May with the cargo.

In March, the government was criticized for failing to provide health workers with enough PPEs, especially those stationed in government-owned health facilities as evidenced by state-run hospitals appealing for donations of protective gear.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the lack of PPEs for health care workers amid the COVID-19 pandemic was due to the global shortage. —KG, GMA News