On July 27, the Korean government, represented by Ambassador Han Dong-man, turned over medical supplies worth at least $750,000 to the Philippine government through Foreign Affairs Sec. Teodoro Locsin Jr.
Donated were 600,000 high-quality KF94 masks worth $500,000 from the Korean government, seven walk-through COVID-19 testing booths worth $150,000 from the Korean government via the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), 1,000 face shields from the Korean Embassy and T&B Company, a Korean firm, and COVID-19 diagnostic kits worth $100,000 for 10,000 tests from SD Biosensor, another Korean company.
Also attending the turnover ceremony was DFA Assistant Secretary for Asia and Pacific Affairs Meynardo LB. Montealegre; Department of Health Usec. Ma. Carolina Vidal-Taiño, and Office of Civil Defense Deputy Administrator Assistant Sec. Casiano Monilla.
Minister Counsellor Sunyoung Kim and First Secretary Seah Park of the Korean Embassy together with Butch Lopez of Zafire Distributors Inc, a local representative of SD Biosensor, and KOTRA Manila Director General Sanghoon Ko were also present.
Amb. Han said the Korean government, Korean companies and the Korean Embassy in the Philippines have worked together to provide humanitarian assistance to help the Philippine government in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and further deepen the Korea-Philippines bilateral relations.
Locsin thanked the Korean government and companies for their continued humanitarian assistance.
In April, the Korean government donated $500,000 worth of COVID-19 diagnostic kits. South Korea is also in the process of providing separate additional humanitarian assistance to the Philippines worth $500,000 from the Korea-ASEAN Cooperation Fund in the coming weeks.
The assistance from the Cooperation Fund will be in the form of diagnostic kits, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA extraction equipment, and personal protective equipment (PPE).
Source: Manila Bulletin
