More than 57,000 COVID-19 test kits from the Alibaba Foundation intended to augment the testing capacity of the Department of Health have been released from the Port of NAIA, the Bureau of Customs said.
A total of 57,600 COVID-19 test kits from Alibaba Foundation through the Manny Pacquiao Foundation were released from the BoC last Friday under the special process implemented for medical supplies.
Since March 9, the Port of NAIA has expedited the release of 1,616 importations and foreign donations of medical supplies and personal protective equipment shipments.
On the other hand, the entire bureau has facilitated a total of 2,081 shipments as of March 26.
“The entire BoC, Manila International Container Port, Port of Manila, Port of Cebu, Port of Clark, Port of Limay, and other ports have been facilitating expeditiously all PPEs,” Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero said.
A shipment containing 48 cartons of PPE was released yesterday, the bureau also reported.
The medical supplies were donated by Xiamen Boson Biotech to Chinese General Hospital. It contains medical supplies and protective gears for the frontliners of the hospital.
The bureau had earlier vowed that they will fast track the release of essential medical supplies and machines amid the COVID-19 outbreak. (Betheena Unite)
