By Martin Sadongdong  BRP Bacolod City (LS550), a logistics support vessel, is expected to arrive in the country this week bringing loads of medical supplies from China to aid frontliners who are still fighting to contain the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the Philippine Navy said. The BRP Bacolod City left Zhangzhou Harbor in the Port of Xiamen on April 30 and is set to arrive in the Philippines on Friday (May 8), said Lt. Commander Maria Christina Roxas, acting director of the naval public affairs office. Around 700,000 KN95 face masks and 200,000 PPE sets comprising goggles, coverall suits, head cover, gloves, shoe covers, surgical masks, and gowns were successfully hauled aboard the ship. The supplies were among the one million PPE sets procured by the Philippine government in March for P1.8 billion to better equip the country's health care workers. Roxas said no crew members of the BRP Bacolod City exhibited any symptoms of COVID-19 as strict safety measures were observed during the hauling of the medical supplies. She said the first batch of PPEs will be unloaded in Davao City before the ship sets sail for Cebu City for the unloading of the second batch. The final batch of PPEs will be unloaded in Manila. "The Philippine Navy continuously supports the Bayanihan to Heal As One Act by providing logistical support and assistance to ensure that essential medical supplies and other equipment are successfully transported," Roxas said. Aside from the Navy ship, the government has also tapped the services of the Philippine Air Force's C-130 transport planes to fetch the remaining PPE sets from China. Thousands of PPE sets have been released to the Philippines since the delivery of the supplies started last month.