Help the less fortunate during COVID-19 pandemic, Duterte urges well-off people

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday night appealed to those with something to spare to help the less fortunate during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

“I still count on everyone to also look out after their fellowmen, their countrymen. To those who have more in life, I implore you to share in the cost of taking care of the less fortunate and keeping our society intact. They have also contributed to our prosperity in one way or [another]. So, let us support them in this crisis,” Duterte said in a late-night televised address.

“Let it be said that, in the hour of our country’s greatest need, we all looked out for and helped each other,” he added.

Duterte thanked businesses, organizations, foreign governments, and private individuals for the “outpouring of donations and support” over the past few weeks.

The President acknowledged the governments of Singapore and China and well-known local businessmen — like Ramon Ang, Enrique Razon, Manny Pangilinan, Lucio Tan, and Dennis Uy — for their help.

As of Monday, the Department of Health has counted 1,546 COVID-19 patients, 78 of whom have died while 42 managed to recover.

The World Health Organization has declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Worldwide, the virus, which was first detected in Hubei, China, has infected more than 723,300 people and killed over 33,990 while more than 151,800 people have recovered so far from the disease as of March 30.

/atm