More support for protective items from the private sector and the United States government boosted the Davao City government response to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.
This week, Davao City received from the PLDT-Smart Foundation and the United States government various personal protective equipment (PPE).
On Wednesday, Mayor Inday Sara Duterte received from the United States Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim more than 10,800 units of PPEs that include face masks (medical, KN95, N95), face shields, gloves, shoe covers, and surgical gowns in a virtual handover.
“These efforts are the result of a longstanding special partnership between the United States and the Philippines,” Ambassador Kim said.
The PPEs were purchased through the Biological Threat Reduction Program funded by the US Department of Defense and will be distributed to the Davao City’s Rapid Response Team (RAT) and Temporary Treatment and Management Facilities (TTMF).
“We express our gratitude for the support of USAID to the City Government of Davao, the City Health Office, the Department of Health and the Southern Philippines Medical Center, as they are the recepients of the PPEs given to us. We thank them for their support to our activities, projects and initiatives against Covid-19,” Mayor Sara said.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), together with American company Procter & Gamble will also provide 1,450 hygiene kits for the city.
On Thursday, the PLDT-Smart Foundation also donated PPEs, disinfectant tablets, and hand sprayers at the Davao International Airport holding facility or Tent City.
Gene Rose Tecson, the head of the City Tourism Operations Office (CTOO), said that the city received 5,000 face masks, 30 hand sprayers, and some disinfectant tablets for the Tent City.
“These will help in the implementation of health protocols inside the Tent City,” Tecson said.
PLDT-Smart Foundation also committed to installing free wifi in the Tent City for the passengers to use while waiting for their reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test results. CIO
