(27 July 2020) — The Department of Health (DOH), duly represented Undersecretary Ma. Carolina Vidal-Taiño and assisted by Dr. Joel H. Villanueva of the Bureau of International Health Cooperation, attended a ceremonial turnover of donations from the Republic of Korea (ROK) and other Korean partners last 27 July 2020, 11:00 AM, at the main lobby of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). The turned over donations have a cumulative value of around PHP 36.8 million and consisted of seven (7) walk-through testing booths and 600,000 pieces of K94 face masks from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the government of the ROK; 1,000 face shields from the Embassy of the ROK and the T&B Company; and 10,000 units of antibody tests/rapid diagnostic tests or RDT (5,000 units Standard Q COVID-19 IgM/IgG Combo and 5,000 units Standard Q COVID-19 Ag) from SD Biosensor, Inc. through the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA).
During this ceremony, His Excellency Han Dong-man of the Embassy of the ROK turned over the donations to Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr. of the DFA. Also present to witness the proceedings were DFA Assistant Secretary Meynardo LB. Montealegre, Office of Civil Defense Deputy Administrator and Assistant Secretary Casiano Monilla. Minister Counsellor Sunyoung Kim and First Secretary Seah Park of the Embassy of the ROK, KOTRA Manila Director General Sanghoon Ko, and Mr. Butch Lopez of Zafire Distributors, Inc. as a local representative of SD Biosensor.
This turnover ceremony follows a previous turnover of a generous donation of RT-PCR testing kits with the ROK held last April of this year.
Representatives from the DFA, DOH, the Embassy of the ROK, KOTRA, and Zafire Distributors Inc. pose for a picture in front of the Mabini Statue at the main lobby of the Department of Foreign Affairs. Various boxes of the donation were also photographed together with the officials.
Press Releases:
(a) https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1110308
(b) http://overseas.mofa.go.kr/ph-en/brd/m_20425/view.do?seq=55
Photo from the Bureau of International Health Cooperation, Department of Health - Philippines