The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has received 10,000 pieces of face shield and 30 sacks of rice from a private citizen who wanted to help the military in its efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lieutenant General Antonio Ramon Lim, AFP deputy chief of staff, led the ceremonial handover of donation from one Nelson Guevarra on Tuesday at the AFP General Headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.
According to the AFP, Guevarra is a Commodore in the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Auxiliary. He is also the chairman of the External Affairs Committee of the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industries Incorporated (FFCCCII).
Lim said Guevarra has organized various donation drives and relief packing operations to aid those in need, particularly those at the frontlines.
He said the AFP was chosen to be the recipient of his individual donation "due to the organization’s key role in the battle against COVID-19 while securing peace."
Part of the donated face shields will be used by the AFP medical personnel who will be tasked to man the biggest isolation center in Metro Manila, the Solaire-PAGCOR (Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation) mega quarantine facility in Parañaque City which has 525 beds, Lim added.
"With the extension of the General Community Quarantine in Metro Manila, the donation is a great boost to augment the need for Protective Personal Equipment (PPE) supplies," he noted.
"(Guevarra's) benevolence means a lot to our men and women in uniform who draw strength from the people’s trust and support. As the nation continues to fight COVID-19, let our unity be one of our strongest weapons in defeating this unforeseen enemy," he said.
The military has been at the forefront of the country's pandemic response. Soldiers were deployed in various quarantine and testing centers to assist medical frontliners.
Some AFP personnel and assets were also used to deliver PPEs and other medical equipment in various areas across the country.