Palace thanks China for donating 200,000 surgical masks to PH

February 2, 2020

Malacanang expressed gratitude on Sunday to China for donating 200,000 surgical masks to the Philippines and for sharing medical information and findings on the novel coronavirus.

"Such sharing will go a long way in better understanding and containing the spread of nCoV," Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a statement.

He said the Palace acknowledges the grave anxiety over the safety of the Chinese people, as well as the other nationals of the rest of the world, by the People’s Republic of China.

"As members of the family of nations, we remain faithful in our commitment and resolve to help and support one another in these trying and quietus times even as we express our thanks to countries, including China, for helping us in our own fight against the spread of the virus in our territory," said Panelo.

He also urged the public from spreading negativism amid the spread of nCoV.

"We must caution those who sow hate, stigma and false narratives vis-à-vis the disease and its origin. They will only exacerbate the already heightened fear among the people by their negativism. Instead of dwelling on the negative, we all should join hands in allaying the apprehensions of the citizenry and contribute to the containment of the disease by observing and following the health protocols put up by the Department of Health and other agencies of the government," he added.

The Philippine government has banned foreigners coming from China and its special administrative regions from entering the country to prevent further spread of the dreaded virus. DMS