MANILA, Philippines — All members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will be donating parts of their salary to the government's fight against the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), AFP chief General Felimon Santos Jr. confirmed Wednesday morning.
Santos himself will donate P10,484 of his own salary while those in the lowest ranks, including airmen, apprentices and privates, will donate P100 each.
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The fund is set to raise around P17 million and is expected to go to the Office of Civil Defense.
"Each regular member of the AFP—from the highest ranking general to the lowest ranking personnel—will donate an amount based on a certain percentage deduction from their respective base pays for the month of May," Santos said in a statement on Wednesday.
Santos said this was "in commiserating with our kababayan who were unfortunate to contract the disease; and as a manifestation of full support to government."
On Tuesday evening, the Department of Health recorded 104 new cases of the virus along with 14 new deaths and 11 new recoveries, bringing the total number of active COVID-19 cases in the country to 3,503.
Just as mainland Luzon entered its fourth week under enhanced community quarantine—which has severely restricted movement and has largely left the vulnerable grappling with uncertainty—the country's COVID-19 task force announced that the lockdown would be extended until April's end.
“Our heart goes out to our people. Seeing and feeling their hardships daily from the checkpoints, quarantine centers, and relief distribution sites we man, we commit to them our resolute efforts to win over this pandemic; we are one with them in keeping the faith that together we will hurdle this test of the Filipino’s indomitable spirit,” the AFP chief said. — Franco Luna
If you believe you have come into possible contact with infected patients, you may be directed to the proper office of the Department of Health for advice through the following lines: (632) 8651-7800 local 1149/1150 or (632) 165-364.
You may also opt to call the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine at (02) 8807-2631/ 8807-2632/ 8807-2637.