Some 16,000 units of antigen test kits were donated by the Ministry of Defense of the State of Israel to the Philippines to help in its pandemic response.
According to the Israeli Embassy in Manila, Israeli diplomats Ambassador Ilan Fluss and Defense Attaché Raz Shabtay turned over the antigen test kits to National Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Wednesday, Feb. 9.
“Friends support each other in times of need. Israel is a friend of the Philippines and will continue to assist and share its expertise in various fields. I am proud to deliver this Israeli assistance today to support the Department of National Defense of the Philippines in keeping this country safe and secure,” Fluss said.
Shabtay for his part said that "the relationship between Israel and the Philippines, particularly the relationship between both defense ministries, is never as strong as it is now.”
He added, "we are delighted to be able to support once more, in the form of contributing 16,000 antigen test kits, to help the Defense Forces of the Philippines in fighting this current Global Pandemic.”
In 2021, the Israeli government turned over personal protective equipment to the Department of National Defense and the Philippine National Police (PNP).
Moreover, two Israeli delegations of medical experts assisted the country’s national vaccination campaign and shared Israel’s local clinical guidelines for COVID-19 infection control protocols and hospital management.
Israel also continues to share its experience and knowledge in emergency and pandemic response with the Philippines through webinars, courses, and joint meetings.