U.S. military service members in Luzon delivered intensive care unit (ICU) beds, valued at over P83,000 ($1,660), to Cagayan Valley Medical Center in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan on Aug. 18 to help assist in their battle with COVID-19.
The aid provided by the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) was part of a larger donation that includes ICU beds, and essential protective equipment, to the Department of Health (DOH) for rapid distribution to support medical facilities in COVID-19 high-risk areas across the country.
Cagayan Valley Medical Center is the primary center for severe COVID cases in the local area, currently operating at full capacity. Additional ICU beds and protective equipment, such as disposable gloves, goggles, face shields, disinfectant spray, and other items to support frontline workers, will be delivered in coordination with Philippine partners in the coming months. These donations will help support the critical care capacity in rural provinces across Mindanao and Luzon.
“This generous donation came at a very critical time in our fight against COVID-19,” Cagayan Valley Medical Center Chief Dr. Glenn Mathew Baggao said. “The U.S. civil military support element members that helped facilitate this donation worked tirelessly to get us the equipment that we needed to help our patients and help mitigate further spread of COVID-19 in the local area.”
To date, the United States has provided at least P1.38 billion ($27.5 million) to support the Philippines’ COVID-19 response.
The Philippines is the United States’ oldest treaty ally in Asia, and this joint U.S.-Philippine partnership builds on decades of bilateral military cooperation in humanitarian assistance and disaster response, counterterrorism, maritime security, and many other fields. (Cagayan Valley Medical Center)
