Chinese companies into COVID-19 response operations in the Philippines

Chinese enterprises join Philippine efforts to fight COVID-19

MANILA – Chinese Ambassador to Manila Huang Xilian said the Philippines and China have been friendly neighbors with many Chinese enterprises doing business in the country.

In a statement, Ambassador Huang said with COVID-19 affected the Philippines, these companies have manifested the corporate social responsibility and assisted the government’s fight against the pandemic.

He added these Chinese companies adhered to the government’s call to pay their employees’13th month pay and paid the basic wages along with subsidies to ensure the well-being of their Filipino employees while on lockdown.

“Since the outbreak, the Chinese enterprises have donated nearly three million medical items to the Philippines, including 2.65 million medical masks and 250,000 pieces of protective suits, gloves and googles, along with daily necessities and cash worth nearly P 10 million,” Ambassador Huang said.

He added among the doners were the State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC), Bank og china, Panhua Group, Chin Information Communication Technology Group, Power Construction. Corporation of China , China Road and Bridge Corporation, China Railway Design Corporation, China Geo-Engineering Corporation, China State Construction Engineering Corporation, China Energy Engineering Corporation and Qingjan Group.

The Chinese ambassador said the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines, co-owned by SGCC, donated P 1 billion to the Philippine government and the Dito Telecommunity, co-owned by China Telecom gave 375,000 kilos of rice to local governments while Zhejiang Dahua Technology extended thermal temperature monitoring solution.

“Huawei provided technical support for diagnosis and treatment system using remote CT scans in Baguio General Hospital Medical Center,” he said, The China-based Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation donated 107,000 test kits and 500,000 medical masks while TikTok contributed US$1 million to the Philippine General Hospital Medical Foundation while 51Talk send medical supplies worth P5.25 million to the Philippines.

Ambassador Huang said Chinese reagents and testing equipment including Sansure Biotech and Beijing Genomics Institute Group attended to the Philippines’ request for supplies.

It was learned China dispatch professional teams to the Philippines to provide personnel training and technical support for their Filipino counterparts to expand their testing capabilities.

During the lockdown, Ambassador Huang said Chinese enterprises in telecommunications, power, banking among others responded to the Philippine government’s call and surpassed operational challenges.

“Solidarity and cooperation are the most powerful weapons. China and the Philippines have worked together to forge a new partnership for collective response. China will stand firmly with the Philippine people till the day of final victory,” he concluded. (Melo M. Acuña)

Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian (right) in one of the turn-over rites for Chinese donated goods to Foreign Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr. (Chinese Embassy file photo)