MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine government on Tuesday (May 12) received P14 million worth of donation from the Chinese Ministry of National Defense.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said he personally received the donation from Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian.
These consisted of medical supplies, mostly PPE, Lorenzana said at a press briefing on Wednesday (May 13).
Chinese Ministry of Defense sends around 2 million RMB worth of medical supplies and PPE for DND/AFP frontliners. A Chinese Air Force cargo plane brought in the supplies at Villamor Air Base on Tuesday night (May 12). (Photos shared to @inquirerdotnet ) pic.twitter.com/0q0536jdVk
— Frances Mangosing 🇵🇭 (@FMangosingINQ) May 13, 2020
A People’s Liberation Army Air Force cargo IL-76 plane landed at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City on Tuesday night to bring in the supplies.
The donation worth 2 million RMB Yuan, included 50,000 medical disposable masks, 6,000 medical surgical masks, 6,000 medical protective masks.
“We are very thankful to the PLA for this donation that will go a long way to help our fight against COVID-19,” the defense chief said.
China’s latest donation is part of its coronavirus diplomacy in the Philippines and other parts of the world.
But one of China’s goodwill gesture, a music video produced by its embassy in Manila, promoting support to health care workers, received heavy criticisms from Filipinos.
Netizens saw “Iisang Dagat” (One Sea) as a subtle way by China to assert its claims to nearly the entire West Philippine Sea.