DND receives medical supplies from China’s PLA

The Department of National Defense (DND) on Wednesday received P1.4 million worth of medical supplies from China's People's Liberation Army.

According to the DND on Wednesday, the donated items include 50,000
medical disposable masks; 6,000 medical surgical masks; 6,000 KN95 medical protective masks;  4,200 medical protective goggles; and 3,000 face shields.

China also provided a total of 3,000 protective coveralls; 3,000 waterproof isolation gowns; and 6,000 sets of medical boots.

Meanwhile, other items handed over to the Office of Civil Defense for inventory and distribution were: 50 boxes of disposable nitrile gloves; 30 infusion pumps; two 16-liter knapsack disinfection sprayers; 50 infrared forehead thermometers; and two thermal imaging helmets.

The DND said the medical supplies are intended for the use of the frontliners including those from the DND and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

The turnover ceremony was held on May 12 at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City. It was attended by DND chief Delfin Lorenzana, Ambassador of China to the Philippines Huang Xilian, OCD administrator Undersecretary Ricardo Jalad, AFP Vice Chief of Staff Vice Admiral Gaudencio Collado Jr., and Philippine Air Force commander Lieutenant General Allen Paredes.

“I was the one who received the donation from [China’s] Ambassador [to the Philippines] Huang Xilian last night,” Lorenzana said.

“It was for the Philippine Air Force, and worth about 200,000 yuan. We are very thankful for this donation. It will go a long way in our fight against COVID-19,” he added.

As of May 13, the Philippines has 11,618 COVID-19 cases. Of this number, 2,251 recovered while 771 died.

COVID-19 originated in Wuhan, China late last year. — Anna Felicia Bajo and Llanesca T. Panti/BM, GMA News