Israel donated 16,000 COVID-19 rapid antigen testing kits to the Philippines, the Israeli Embassy in Manila announced in a Facebook post.
The kits were donated last week by the Defense Ministry through the embassy to the Department of National Defense of the Philippines to help in its fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
“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,” said Israeli Ambassador Ilan Fluss at a turnover ceremony at the DND Headquarters in Quezon City on Feb. 9. “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.”
Defense Attaché Raz Shabtay, who was also in attendance, stressed that “the relationship between both defense ministries is never as strong as it is now.”
This is not the first assistance provided by Israel to the Philippines since the start of the pandemic. Last year, Israel provided the country with personal protective equipment and sent two delegations of medical experts to assist with the Philippines’ COVID-19 vaccination campaign.
The Facebook post said that Israel regularly shares its experience and knowledge in emergency and pandemic response with the Philippines through webinars, courses and joint meetings.
