FROM THE U.S. GOVERNMENT. Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, commander of the Western Mindanao Command (at the podium), thanks the United States government for the donation of medical supplies. Sobejana and Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar facilitate the turnover of the medical supplies to the local hospitals on Friday (May 22, 2020). (Photo lifted from the Facebook Page of Beng Climaco)
ZAMBOANGA CITY – The United States government has donated 110 boxes of medical supplies to local health facilities in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) crisis.
Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, commander of the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), and Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar, facilitated Friday the turnover of the medical supplies to the local health facility-beneficiaries.
The turnover of the medical supplies was spearheaded by Special Operations Task Force 511.2 Commander Nathan Golike.
The beneficiary health facilities are the City Health Office, Zamboanga City Medical Center, West Metro Medical Center, Zamboanga Peninsula Medical Center, and Ciudad Medical Center.
The donated medical supplies, airlifted here by the US government through the Special Operations Task Force 511.2, included personnel protective equipment, masks, goggles, thermometers, and other medical supplies.
“What you have done to us today (Friday) is something that will continue in our enduring friendship. Something that we look forward and really are very much thankful for,” Salazar said.
Sobejana also expressed gratitude to the US government and the country's Department of Defense "for the assistance they had extended to us."
“During this time of turmoil, we really need to be connected. We need to have a very good convergence and harmony of efforts and it requires a lot of support and cooperation with each other.” Sobejana said.
In a statement on May 19, the US Embassy said service members from the U.S. Army, Marines, and Air Force delivered over PHP10 million (USD203,000) in personal protective equipment (PPE) and medical supplies to hospitals in 10 provinces across the Philippines, working in partnership with the Philippine Coast Guard, Army, Marines, and Air Force.
The embassy said that the new donation brings total U.S. government Covid-19 assistance to the Philippines to more than PHP780 million (nearly USD15.5 million).
The assistance, delivered in conjunction with the U.S. Embassy and Philippine Department of Health, aims to provide medical clinics from Luzon to Mindanao with PPE and other essential equipment to support front-line workers battling Covid-19. (PNA)
