Navy personnel donate 1-day allowance to COVID-19 relief

Vice Adm. Giovannni Carlo Bacordo, the Philippine Navy Flag Officer in Command, hands over the cheques to Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine Navy, including sailors, marine officers, and enlisted personnel, pooled one day of their subsistence allowance and donated a total of P3,595,500 to the national government for its efforts against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vice Adm. Giovannni Carlo Bacordo, the Philippine Navy Flag Officer in Command, turned over the cheques on Friday to Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and Usec. Ricardo Jalad, Executive Director of the Office of the Civil Defense, at the OCD Building inside Camp Aguinaldo.

Bacordo already lauded the Navy personnel and reservists for their generosity amid the pandemic after they provided donations and relief assistance to different communities that have been under the effects of the virus.

“The Philippine Navy’s continuous effort to help the government by any means, may it be in the frontlines or through personal donation is a realization of its mandate of being in the service of the Filipino people especially during this time of crisis,” said the Navy in a statement.

Also present in the ceremony Fleet commander Rear Adm. Loumer Bernabe, Marine Corps commandant Maj. Gen. Nathaniel Casem, and Navy’s command master chief petty officer Freddie Asence.

There are 16,634 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Philippines with 942 deaths and 3,720 recoveries.