MANILA - Alibaba founder Jack Ma's foundation has teamed up with Sen. Manny Pacquiao's group to donate 50,000 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) testing kits to the Philippines, the senator said Tuesday.

Pacquiao broke the news on social media as he thanked the billionaire for his "generous donation."

"We’re excited to announce the Jack Ma Foundation, in partnership with the Pacquiao Foundation, is pledging 50,000 test kits to combat COVID-19 in the Philippines," the senator said in a post on his social media pages.

"With everything that’s happening around the world today, there is no better time to unite and do whatever we can to help each other," he said.

Pacquiao and Ma made headlines last year after the two posted a sparring video on Instagram.

A Senate inquiry earlier found that the Department of Health only has 2,000 COVID-19 testing kits. Some 2,000 more are set to be delivered to the country, while a locally-produced kit is being developed.

The Philippines is under a state of public health emergency as cases of COVID-19 in the country continue to rise. As of March 16, 142 people in the country have contracted the disease. Twelve have died, 3 recovered, while the rest are still recuperating in hospitals.

The World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic after it killed some 5,000 people and infected 150,000 others worldwide.