On 6 October, Dr Rabindra Abeyasinghe, WHO Representative in the Philippines, handed over IT equipment to DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario S. Vergeire at the DOH in Manila. The DOH Epidemiology Bureau will use the equipment, amounting to an estimated USD 22,478.00 to help reduce time for data processing and encoding so that the surveillance process to detect COVID-10 becomes more efficient.

"We must be able to speedily detect cases of COVID-19 and track progress to make headway," said Dr Abeyasinghe. "As we support the COVID-19 response of the Philippines, WHO commits to strengthening health information systems and supports the timely sharing of data, which together with quick action to contain transmission is critical in saving lives."