The Department of Health (DOH), through Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), through Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr., on Saturday received 700 units of COVID-19 test kits from the government of the Republic of Korea (ROK) in a turnover ceremony held at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Pasay City.

The official turnover ceremony was led by ROK Ambassador Han Dong Man, and attended by National Task Force against COVID-19 Spokesperson Ret. Major General Restituto Padilla, Chief of Presidential Protocol Robert Borje III, and officials from DFA.

“The provision of these test kits will be instrumental in the country’s war against COVID-19. I am thankful to the Republic of Korea for its unending support. Only through international solidarity and cooperation like this will we be able to succeed against this global enemy,” the Health Chief said.

The 700 test kits will allow for the conduct of 35,000 tests and aid the Philippine government in its continuing effort to expand the country’s testing capacity.

The test kits arrived in the country last 24 April 2020 and will be delivered to RITM and other Subnational laboratories./Stacy Ang