The United States, which leads the most number of coronavirus cases in the world, has recognized the role of Filipino frontliners in their country in its fight against COVID-19.

In a speech in Manila on Monday, US National Security Advisor Robert O’Brian took note of the huge role Filipino nurses play in their battle against the pandemic.

“There are Filipino-Americans and Filipinos that are in America today in our hospitals and on the frontlines taking care of Americans, and we are grateful for that,” O’Brien said in his speech.

O’Brien said the service being rendered by Filipino frontliners are truly commendable.

“The Philippines can be very proud of your countrymen and your native sons and daughters who are doing so much for us as we battle COVID-19 in our country. The United States stands with you in this fight and we are behind you in our prayers, and we know that we are in your prayers,” he said.

Despite their own struggles in dealing with the pandemic, the US said that it will continue to support the Philippines in its coronavirus fight.

“We are also battling COVID-19 side-by-side. Since March, the United States has donated 1.1 billion Philippine pesos, or 23.4 million U.S. dollars, to assist in the combat of COVID-19 in the Philippines,” he said.

The US donated PPES and medical equipment to the country.

“We’ve donated 100 brand-new ventilators, 1,300 cots, and as well PPE for 49 medical facilities. We’ve also trained 28,000 health workers, and helped the Philippines boost its testing capacity from an initial 200 tests a day to over 30,000 tests a day,” he added.

Filipinos are the biggest group of foreign nurses in the US, accounting for 348,000 as of 2018.