Twelve Chinese medical experts arrived in Manila, the Philippines, on Sunday afternoon to help the country's fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

The team departed from Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, in the morning. They also brought urgently needed medical supplies donated by the provincial government, including 30 ventilators, 5,000 protective suits, 300,000 medical masks, 30,000 N95 respirators and 5,000 face shields.

The team's 15-day visit in the country is scheduled to conclude on April 19.

Their missions will include sharing China's experience in testing, treatment, and containment of COVID-19 with local hospitals and experts, and providing treatment advice.

The Philippine health ministry reported eight more deaths and 152 newly confirmed cases on Sunday.

The number of cases in the country totaled 3,246, as of 0800 GMT, while the death toll hit 152, said a daily bulletin.