Davao Occidental gov, daughter donate P3M to health frontliners

DIGOS CITY –– Davao Occidental Governor Claude Bautista and his daughter, Dumper Partylist Rep. Claudine Diana Bautista, pledged P2 million and P1 million, respectively, for the staff members of the Davao City-based Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) who are in the frontline fighting the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

The Bautistas said they were touched by the benevolence of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, who announced last week that she would donate her one-year salary worth P2.1-million to the SPMC frontliners.

Earlier, Duterte said the fund from her salary would be used to create a trust fund for the SPMC staff members catering to the needs of COVID-19 patients.

Duterte especially wanted to provide help to those who are COVID-19-positive.

Twelve SPMC staff members are positive for the disease and two of them had died.

SPMC is the main COVID-19 referral facility in the Davao region and hosts the laboratory that tests swab samples from COVID-19 suspects throughout Mindanao.

The Bautistas paid tribute to the SPMC staff members for “risking their lives to save patients.”

Rep. Bautista also lauded the leadership displayed by Duterte as chair of the Region 11 interagency task force on COVID-19.

Duterte’s “strong and proactive efforts … are vital to control the spread of the disease, not only in Davao City but throughout the region,” Rep. Bautista said.

LZB