Seoul donates 50,000 face masks to Pinoy war vets

THE South Korean government on Friday donated over 50,000 protective face masks for veterans of the Philippine Expeditionary Forces to Korea (Peftok) and their families to protect themselves against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

South Korean Ambassador to the Philippines Han Dong-Man turned over the face masks from the Republic of Korea Ministry of National Defense and the

Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs to the Department of National Defense (DND).

DND representatives, led by Defense Undersecretary for Civil, Veterans and Reservist Affairs Reynaldo Mapagu and Philippine Veterans Affairs Office Administrator Ernesto Carolina, received the donations that were eventually turned over to Peftok veterans, represented by retired Cpl. Bartolome Catolos and

Walter Young.

In a statement provided by the DND, Han acknowledged the Philippine veterans who contributed to the “peace, freedom and democracy” that Korea enjoys today.

The turnover was also a gesture of appreciation by Seoul to the Filipino veterans, according to Han.

Peftok was the Philippine Army’s contingent to the United

Nations forces that fought during the Korean War in the 1950s.

The donation of protective face masks came as South Korea commemorated the 70th anniversary of the Korean War this year, according to the DND.

Mapagu, meanwhile, said the nation today is currently fighting another battle, but this time, against an “invisible enemy,” which is Covid-19.