Cell Site on Wheels, million-dollar lab equipment to help ease strain

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GLOBE Telecom Inc. has successfully deployed its Cell Site on Wheels (COW) in two designated COVID-19 quarantine areas in Metro Manila.

COW, installed to improve mobile signal within the area, was deployed at the Rizal Memorial Stadium (RMS)in Manila and at the Philippine International Commercial Complex (PICC) Forum in Pasay City to have a better and wider coverage.

The two sites are among the designated areas by the governmentas part of the national campaign to respond to the health concerns of persons who are suspected, probable or positive with COVID-19.

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Globe has also put up a COW installation within the vicinity of ULTRA in Pasig City and will be operational in the next few days for additional capacity in the area.

$2.5 Mlab equipment, test kits

A $2.5 million laboratory equipment, and 45,000 test kits funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and developed by a genome sequencing company in China were flown in by a Philippine Air Force C130 cargo plane from Shenzhen, China arriving in Clark International Airport early morning Wednesday.

The said lab equipment, developed by Beijing Genome Institute (BGI) and has a capacity of 3,000 tests per day, will be commissioned and installed at Jose B. Lingad Memorial General Hospital (JBLMGH) at City of San Fernando, Pampanga, making it a Pandemic Subnational Reference Laboratory (PSRL) in the country.

In a report released by the Department of Health (DOH)—Central Luzon, BGI will assign its own full-time staff in the facility to train and guide staff in commissioning the facility, and in provide technical support during the laboratory’s first week of operations.

The proficiency testing of the equipment and kits on COVID 19 laboratory samples is expected to be conducted on May 2 to 10.

Once the RITM has confirmed the laboratory’s accuracy in testing the samples, it will be certified by May 15 and can run tests on samples at full capacity on May 16.

Aside from its ability to detect and test the presence of the COVID-19 virus, the PSRL in JBLMGH will also be used for supporting medical-related researches on pathogens, genetic disease, and cancer. It will likewise be utilized for training laboratory personnel.

Donation drive 

Metro Pacific Tollways South Management Corp., (MPT South), a unit of Metro Pacific Tollways Corp., (MPTC) provided support to the Philippine Navy in their partnership with Ronald McDonald House of Charities for a donation drive of 94 boxes or a total of 18,800 Rich Chocolate Pies to front liners assigned in district hospitals within the communities of Manila Cavite expressway (CAVITEX) and Cavite Laguna Expressway (CALAX) toll roads.

The Philippine Navy, with support and efforts of BGen. Rodylyn Manzano AFP (Reserve) and Lt. Col. Nick  Manalo PN(M) (Reserve) has successfully steered the logistics to bring the ready-to-fry chocolate pies from McDonald’s Philippines to selected district hospitals. Hospital beneficiaries were Pasay City General Hospital, Ospital ng Parañaque, Ospital ng Biñan, Southern Tagalog Regional Hospital in the City of Bacoor and the Municipality of Kawit, Cavite.

Earlier, eflectorized traffic vests were also deployed to the Philippine Navy Fleet Marine Ready Force and checkpoints located at CAVITEX.

MPT South expressways CAVITEX and CALAX are open to serve motorists for the unhampered flow of goods and services following Republic Act No. 11469 Bayanihan to Heal as One Act and the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) guidelines.

Masks for health workers

The Department of Public Works and Highways will turn over surgical masks to six major government hospitals in Metro Manila.

Mark Villar, DPWH secretary, has identified Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital, National Kidney & Transplant Institute, Philippine Heart Center, Philippine General Hospital, Lung Center of the Philippines, and Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center to receive 2,000 pieces of surgical masks each.

Villar said that DPWH through the Unified Project Management Office(UPMO)secured these surgical face masks from donations of contractors and consultants.

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Meanwhile, DPWH yesterday received additional medical supplies donations from CCCC Highway Consultants Co. Ltd. and Hillmarcs Construction Corp.

CCCC Highway Consultants, involved in the conduct of feasibility studies of several proposed DPWH-UPMO projects, donated 19,000 pieces of surgical masks and 1,000 pieces of N-95 masks for hospital personnel and DPWH workers who are involved in the construction of additional health facilities and providing other mission-critical service.

Hillmarcs Constructiondonated 200 gallons of disinfectant alcohol for DPWH frontliners.

Container vans

Energy Development Corp.(EDC) extended further its assistance to itshost-communities’ local government units (LGUs) by lending a total of 11 container vans during this fight against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

Allan Barcena, EDC Corporate Social Responsibility—Public Relations head, said since the start of the nationwide lockdown in March, the company has been extending its help not only to its employees and stakeholders but also to the national government through the LGUs, especially the hosts of its energy facilities.

In Negros Oriental, EDC’s 20-foot air-conditioned container van is now being used by the Department of Health as an extension of the Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital’s swab facility for suspected COVID-19 cases.

EDC’s 40-foot container vans in Ormoc City, on the other hand, are being utilized by medical front liners as their quarantine facility before they could go off-duty after a 14-day duty in Kananga Hospital and Ormoc Hospital. Each of the containers–two for each hospital–can accommodate up to seven front liners with strict observance of physical distancing.

In Mindanao, which houses EDC’s Mount Apo Geothermal Facility, three 20-foot container vans with vinyl tiles, foam insulation, lights, electrical outlets, and with provision for airconditioning units were lent to Kidapawan City Hospital and Amas Provincial Hospital. One container van in Kidapawan City is intended to be used as a quarantine facility for medical workers while the two others in North Cotabato will be used as an isolation area for probable and suspected COVID-19 patients.

Likewise, in Burgos, Ilocos Sur, three remodeled vans will be used by the Rural Health Unit of Burgos municipality as an isolation facility for probable and suspected COVID-19 cases.

In the Bicol region, six other container vans are expected to be deployed in the next few days also as isolation and monitoring facilities for possible COVID-19 cases.

Ateneo responds

The Ateneo de Manila University last April 15 opened its doors to 23 medical and support staff from the Quirino Medical Center, one of the government hospitals that are leading the battle against COVID-19.

Under “Project Panunuluyan: Kanlungan at Bayanihan” Ateneo will provide board and lodging for the HCWs, plus a point-to-point shuttle service to and from the hospital, until May 15, 2020.

Ateneo is also offering frontliners psychological support and free online counselling through the Ateneo Bulatao Center for Psychological Services.

Ateneo has also provided over 12,500 meals to the health care workers of the Philippine General Hospital, Lung Center of the Philippines, East Avenue Medical Center, and the Mandaluyong City Medical Center.

Ateneo has also helped in providing personal protective equipment to 96 health institutions, including hazardous material (hasmat) suits The Medical City.

The Areté Makerspace team has also assembled more than 1,600 face shields for the use of healthcare professionals in various hospitals in Metro Manila and around the country.

Over 44,600 families have already been given food and relief packs containing various essential goods.

In partnership with the De La Salle Brothers and the Philippine Jesuits, Ateneo has also helped provide a safe shelter to 446 individuals.

Pampanga warehouse

Several companiesled by Aboitiz infrastructure business unit Republic Cement, have worked together to provide assistance to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) which reached out for help in finding a warehouse to re-stage  to Pampanga (from Metro Manila). The re-staging was for ten metric tons of rice (24,000 sacks) for repacking and distribution to communities in need of food assistance.

Republic Cement, Aboitiz, MEGACEM and ResourceCoPH worked together to secure an 800-square meter warehouse in San Simon, Pampanga for the free use of DSWD within 48 hours of the request. While no personnel were provided in compliance with the Luzon enhanced community quarantine guidelines, ResourceCoPH also kindly allowed for the free use of their machinery, including the forklifts available at the warehouse.

The rice will be distributed to DSWD Field Office (FO) 3 in Pampanga, FO1 in La Union, FO CAR in Baguio, and FO2 in Cagayan Valley.

Seeds as donation

Hybrid seeds company, SeedWorks Philippines is donating P1 million in cash and kind to COVID-19 relief efforts wherein a major part of the donation will be in the form of high-quality sweet corn seeds.

The sweet corn seeds which can grow and yield harvest in just about 70 to 75 days will be turned over to DA regional offices in targeted local government units in CALABARZON, Bicol, Bukidnon, Agusan del Sur and Davao.

“We are heeding the government’s call for modern technology and intensified use of high-quality seeds to bolster food productivity amidst the current threat of the Covid-19 pandemic. Our sweet corn seeds can easily grow even in one’s backyard with little or no farming skills required. The variety is also tolerant to major diseases, produces cobs with long ears, and yields very sweet kernels,” Remus Morandante, SeedWorks Philippines’ vice president for sales, said in a statement.

Caring for the community

Mondelez Philippines has extended support to its community in Parañaque City for the COVID-19 crisis. The two institutions have long enjoyed a partnership, with the snack foods company having called the City home for the past 57 years. A number of its employees also call Parañaque City home, which makes the sense of community even stronger.

“We are citizens of Paranaque City. In this time of need, we aim to help first and foremost the City which has welcomed us so warmly the past five decades,” shares Toff Rada, CGA Country Manager of Mondelez Philippines.

Mondelez Philippines has shared its snack products like Oreo and Tiger to the health front liners in Parañaque’s eight hospitals through partner Rise Against Hunger. With brands like Tang, the Company is also extending support forcommunities in the City with through the Philippine Red Cross and the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP).

The Company has similarly provided additional support for its people, including transportation to and from the Plant, on-site housing for those who need it, additional benefits and pay, and more importantly, stringent sanitation guidelines inside its facilities to protect everyone inside.

Mining communities

OceanaGold Philippines Inc. (OGPI) has earmarked approximately P6 million of its social development management program funding to assist communities in Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino respond to COVID-19.

The company said it is coordinating with various local government units to provide medicines, personal protective equipment and food supplies to 47 barangays located in Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya, and Cabarroguis, Quirino that is expected to benefit almost 19,000 households of the two municipalities that host the operation of the company’s Didipio mine.

OGPI is also distributing medical supplies to key health centers in Ifugao, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino, namely the NV Provincial Health Office, Quirino Province Medical Center, Kasibu Municipal Health Office, Cabarroguis Municipal Health Office, Region 2 Trauma and Medical Center, Nueva Vizcaya Provincial Hospital, Kasibu Municipal Hospital, Kayapa Municipal Hospital; Dupax del Norte Hospital, Diadi Municipal Hospital , Ifugao Provincial Hospital and Santiago Adventist Hospital.

DEALING WITH ECQ

GrabPay expands services

To help Filipinos go through the pandemic, Grab is expanding its ecosystem with new services that are powered by GrabPay, a built-in mobile wallet to allow users to get their daily essential needs and keep up with their transactions while still avoiding contact with cash and observing proper distancing protocols. GrabPay can now be used in purchase of grocery items at GrabMart, Pay bills within the Grab app “‹such as utility, telco, internet, cable TV; cashless payment for food and parcel delivery at GrabFood and GrabExpress; and it can used for payment of items purchased at  partner establishments such as SM and Watsons. “‹

“We are navigating through unprecedented times and we are seeing a huge shift towards digital payments to minimise the spread of the virus. As a technology company that serves the everyday needs of our consumers, we have stepped up our cashless solutions to help our fellow Filipinos get more things done from the comfort of their homes, all within one GrabPay wallet,” said Jonny Bates, GrabPay Philippines head.

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