Israel donates medical equipment for DND frontliners

The Israeli government has donated medical equipment in the fight against COVID-19 to the first responders of the Department of National Defense.

According to a press release from the Israel embassy,  Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana received the 60,000 surgical masks, 6,000 N95 filtered face masks, 9,000 gowns, 3,000 face shields, 100,000 gloves, and 100 non-contact thermometers, which were personally turned over by Israeli Ambassador Rafael Harpaz during a ceremony at the Villamor Airbase on Tuesday.

“This donation signifies Israel-Philippines strong and friendly relations,” Harpaz said prior to the ceremony.

Among those in attendance at the ceremony were Chief of Presidential Protocol and Presidential Assistant on Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Robert Borje, Office of Civil Defense Administrator Undersecretary Rocardo Jalad, Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General Felimon Santos Jr., AFP Commanding General Lieutenant General Allen Paredes, AFP Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence Major General Greg Almerol, and AFP Chief of Intelligence Service Brigadier General Oliver Artuz.

The embassy also noted that when Typhoon Yolanda devastated the Philippines in 2013, Israel sent hundreds of Israeli soldiers, nurses, and assistant workers to aid Filipinos affected by the typhoon.

It added that Israel continues to be in close cooperation with the Philippines in the fields of agriculture and water technologies as well as the sharing of military technologies and counterterrorism strategies. — Ma. Angelica Garcia/BM, GMA News