On November 18, the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China handed over a donation of medical supplies to the Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital in Manila to support its COVID-19 pandemic response as well as to address the basic essential needs of our dear medical frontliners. Together with Mindray Medical International Philippines and BYD Philippines Inc., boxes of N95 masks, PPE suits, medical-grade gloves, and disinfectants, among others, were turned over to the hospital.

On behalf of the Chinese Embassy, Counselor Xie Yonghui said that he hopes the donated materials and equipment alleviate the frontliners’ work and further aid in the hospital’s pandemic response.

“I hope that this humble donation will be of great help to the medical frontliners and patients of Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital. In China, doctors and nurses are often called ‘the angels in white’ for their dedication to saving lives. This is the same for the Philippine medical workers who provide resolute service, especially during the trying times of the Covid-19 pandemic,” he added.

“There is a Chinese saying that goes, ‘receiving drips of water when in need, and I shall return the kindness with a spring.’ This means that when the Chinese people receive help from others, they usually return it in many folds. At the height of China's fight on Covid-19, the Philippine government and people extened a warm helping hand to China. When the pandemic outbreak happened in the Philippines later that year in March, China started to extend every help and support to the Philippines to the best of its ability.”

Counselor Xie was also given by the hospital a certificate of appreciation by Medical Center Chief II Dr. Esmeraldo T. Ilem who expressed his gratitude to the Embassy for being chosen as the beneficiary for this project and how China’s positive contribution to the fight against the pandemic impacted many Filipinos.

“These donations will boost the morale and will increase the confidence of our healthcare workers in confronting COVID-19. We know for a fact that their lives are in danger especially during the times we had the scarcity of PPEs and antiseptics…so they will be very thankful for these donations because these will help them confront the enemy,” Ilem said.

Also present during the handover ceremony were representatives of two renowned Chinese medical enterprises Mindray and BYD Philippines Corp. who also handed over medical equipment to the hospital together with the Embassy. 

“From last year, at the beginning of the pandemic we have already donated to different hospitals and worked closely with the frontline medical staff…when we saw the opportunity to do this with the Chinese Embassy, we definitely wanted to join,” Mindray General Manager Mr. Toby Xu said.

“We believe that for all the frontliners in hospitals, they deserve the best protection. And for BYD, our PPE products have been delivered to over 80 countries worldwide. Quality, reliability, and sustainability can be rest assured,” BYD Philippines Corp. General Manager Benjamin Zhao said.

Only a short video interview and photo op were conducted during the successful handover ceremony to ensure the safety of all stakeholders. Media influencers such as Sigrid Grace Flores, Jeany Johnson, Kim Crizaldo, Mariel Joyce Pascua, and Ivanna Kamil Pacis also participated in the event and shared the sentiments of joy, generosity, and unity in being part of project showcasing China and the Philippines hand-in-hand for a better tomorrow.

The Chinese Embassy has always been a partner of the Philippines in combatting the COVID-19 pandemic from its beginning. The donation made to Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital in Manila is one of the many continued efforts by the Embassy as it looks forward to other events in the future.