MANILA, Philippines -- U.S. Embassy in the Philippines Chargé d’Affaires (CDA) John Law officially turned over 420 intensive care unit (ICU) beds on July 15, valued at Php23.9 million ($498,000), to Philippine Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque III at the Department of Health compound.

The donation, provided by the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, will provide ICU beds to the DOH for rapid distribution to support medical facilities in COVID-19 high risk areas across the country.

An additional 180 ICU beds will be delivered in coordination with Philippine partners in the coming months to support the critical care capacity in rural provinces across Mindanao and Luzon.

“We are honored to be able to support our Philippine partners with this ICU bed donation, which will directly support medical facilities across the country,” said CDA Law. “The United States will continue to stand with our Filipino allies as we together confront the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

These deliveries will support regional, city, and municipal hospitals and medical centers in every region of the Philippines to effectively manage critical COVID-19 patients.

The United States has worked closely with Philippine stakeholders throughout the pandemic to protect public health and support the local response to COVID-19. To date, the United States has provided more than Php1.38 billion ($27.5 million) to support the Philippines’ COVID-19 response.