The first batch of donations to the Philippines by the Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation has finally arrived and has been received by the Department of Health. The shipment is part of the donation to four Southeast Asian countries, including Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia; it includes a combined total of 2 million face masks, testing kits for 150,000 people, 20,000 protective suits and 20,000 face shields.
Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III explains that the first batch of donations underscores the Foundations’ genuine desire to help developing countries like the Philippines fight the coronavirus pandemic. He adds that the donations will “certainly boost efforts of the government and the private sector in the Philippines to prevent the spread of the coronavirus and save lives.”
The Jack Ma Foundation hopes that the donations will help the Philippines protect itself against COVID-19. “We are doing all that we can to help the global fight, racing against time and overcoming logistical challenges to deliver essential medical supplies,” they said. The second batch of medical supplies is expected to arrive in Manila within the next week.
This donation is among a number of aid initiatives from the Alibaba Foundation and Jack Ma Foundation to support the areas of the world most affected by the Covid-19 crisis, sourcing and delivering various types of medical supplies to China, South East Asia, United States, Africa, Italy, Belgium, France, Slovenia, Spain, Germany and Latin America.
The Foundations are also funding research and development of COVID-19 virus treatment options in China and at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity (Australia) and Columbia University (USA). Further donations are expected to be announced soon.
Follow @JackMa and @foundation_ma on Twitter for the latest efforts of Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation to support the global fight against COVID-19.
Do you have a story for the WhenInManila.com Team? Email us at story.wheninmanila@gmail.com or send us a direct message at WhenInManila.com Facebook Page. Interact with the team and join the WhenInManila.com Community at WIM Squad! Join our WhenInManila.com community on Viber, as well!
